


Danganronpa HD: Death Gambit

by Xandyflare



Series: Reign of Shadows [9]
Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Reign of Shadows (Fanfiction)
Genre: Character Death, Continuity lockout beginning at Chapter 6, Fan Killing Game (Dangan Ronpa), M/M, Mystery, Reign of Shadows lore
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-07
Updated: 2020-06-17
Packaged: 2020-11-26 21:37:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 90
Words: 213,810
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20937134
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Xandyflare/pseuds/Xandyflare
Summary: Can be referred to as Reign of Shadows: Season 5. KNOWLEDGE OF REIGN OF SHADOWS LORE IS REQUIRED TO FULLY UNDERSTAND CHAPTER 6 ONWARDS!Shido Norihisa, the Ultimate Dancer, had no choice but to accept the invitation to Hope's Peak Academy. And when they opened a testing of a summer school program with the participants promised instant graduation, he thought of it as an escape, and took one of the last positions.But what was going on? Where's the Wi-Fi signal? Why is the summer school so far from civilization? And why did he and the other fifteen students wake up on the bus with no memory of getting there?Join the Reign of Shadows/Dragalia Sov Discord: https://discord.gg/5mXXcXz





	1. Prologue-1: One-Way Bus Trip To Hell

Nobody could ever miss the shadow that the school cast. It was placed directly in an urban area, overlooking such a prestigious community crafted outside of its walls. It would be an honor to even live near the academy.

The students of the school were just as lucky to attend it. This wasn’t any normal academy. It was one that hand-picked only the top of the line in various fields. These “Ultimates” would come to this legendary school, and graduate with guaranteed success in their life.

Of course, there were requirements to go to this school. For one, you had to currently be going to a high school during the time you are selected to attend the academy. And second, you must be an “Ultimate” at some sort of task. It doesn’t matter what talent. Really, anything will do.

Application was not a problem. The school sought out their students themselves. You could decline, but graduation would mean you would be set for life.

It was the year 2087 that Hope’s Peak Academy inducted Class 768-G into their summer school program.

The program was more of a test, currently. The summer school program was stationed in a rural, almost isolated area. It laid right between the two great mountains that created the landmark Monolith Valley. The summer school program would last for three months, and would have counselors in the form of Former Ultimates, who have moved on from Hope’s Peak Academy at this point, aptly named “Ultimate Counselors”.

The program, of course, needed volunteers. Sixteen available slots were offered to the students of Hope’s Peak. To sweeten the deal, the sixteen students would be awarded instant graduation if the summer school program testing goes well. Before long, all the spots were filled, and the batch of lucky students were packing up for the long stay away from home.

The third-last applicator for the program was a bit unsure. But it was a good opportunity for him. He had a severe falling-out with his family when he joined Hope’s Peak due to his talent of being the Ultimate Dancer. They heavily disagreed about his feministic behaviors at times, and eventually kicked him out entirely once he accepted the invitation to the academy. The summer school may take his mind off of it all, and allow him to regain some stability in his life.

  
  


So Shido Norihisa became one of the last applicants for the summer school program, and was accepted into Class 768-G last minute.

A lot of the other people going to summer school were people he’s never met. They were all from different classes in Hope’s Peak. There was the Ultimate Ninja, who already sounded really threatening. And he heard that the Ultimate Protege and the Ultimate Gunner were siblings, and have made their own group that deals with both physical fights and shooter video game tournaments. There was even an Ultimate Weapons Expert!

Shido immediately felt so out of place the more Ultimate titles he heard. He was the Ultimate Dancer. There was an Ultimate Knight, the Ultimate Mage, and an Ultimate Archer. How could he possibly compete with all of the people he’s supposed to remain with for the entirety of three months?

He also began to wonder how hard they worked for their talents. Shido didn’t deserve his title at all. He was just scum that got lucky. Did some Ultimates just have it handed to them on a silver platter? Did they even attempt to become Ultimates, or did they just stumble along and get the title without meaning to?

And finally, there was that one sixteenth student...All the way at the end of the list. All that was listed was “Yuuki Shunsho, Unknown”. There wasn’t any facts posted about him on the infomercials all accepted students received. His Ultimate talent wasn’t even listed. It both confused and worried Shido at the same time.

Why was Shido so nervous? He had a place in the world as one with a truly exceptional gift. And yet, his achievements felt so miniscule compared to who would be his classmates for testing the summer school program.

It was like he was in a void. It was mapping out his entire life, playing it like a looping movie. Every scene seemed to reprint itself in his mind, becoming more clear with each run. Every single little choice that has led him to this moment became vivid in his mind. His road was paved before him, going on towards the hope of the future.

He will succeed in this program. He will prove his family was wrong. And he will prove that the name Shido Norihisa means something! He will make a new person out of himself!

So he took a step forward down the laid out path of hope, and woke up on a school bus seat.

Shido immediately looked bewildered. What had caused the sudden jump from dream to reality? And where exactly was he? He doesn’t remember getting on a bus at any point. And he could feel the bus moving, and there was a minor commotion, so he wasn’t alone. But where was the bus going? And who were the passengers with him?

“Oh, hey there.” Shido looked surprised at a voice. “You’re awake.”

The Ultimate Dancer looked to the side. A boy was sharing his bus seat. He was a bit older than Shido, with a shock of red hair. His clothes didn’t seem to match up to any Ultimate he read up on. It more matched up to an Ultimate Rock Star, but there was no talent like that in Class 768-G.

“Hey, why are you starin’ like that?” He continued to talk, startling Shido a bit out of his thoughts. “The name is Takehiko Juzaburo. I’m the Ultimate Ninja.”

  
  


_ “Oh, right. The Ultimate Ninja. The Juzaburo clan is one of the most elite and deadly ninja clans in all of Japan. While still keeping the old arts of the ninja from older ages, they also have adopted modern techniques to still be able to top a lot of different fighters. Takehiko was the heir of the entire clan, chosen out of all of his siblings and cousins to be the next leader of the clan. He’s deadly, and super analytical, in and out of combat. I imagined him as clad in black, serious and deadly. So...THIS was Takehiko Juzaburo?!” _

“Hey!” Takehiko groaned. “Get your head out of the clouds, Shido!”

Shido gasped. “You...Know my name?”

“I was able to guess that you were the Ultimate Dancer,” Takehiko quipped. “Your clothes are a dead giveaway.”

“I-I was just...surprised. You’re the Ultimate Ninja?”

Takehiko looked surprised. “Huh?” He pinched his shirt to pull it forward and stare at the design. “Oh, right. I guess I don’t look like a ninja. Sorry that I didn’t bring out a fucking ninja suit. But that would have gotten way too hot. It’s summer, after all.”

“St-Still...That’s a rather...crude outfit.”

“Cry me a damn river! I may be a ninja, but I ain’t a strong, silent type outside of my work line.” Takehiko grinned. “That actually helps me blend in with infiltration techniques. I sure don’t act like a classic ninja. It’s the ultimate element of surprise, the term of obfuscating stupidity!”

Shido seems to piece together a few things. “So, if you’re Takehiko...does this mean that we’re we heading to...?”

Takehiko scratched his head. “Yup. Monolith Valley, for the summer school program. We all deduced that when we woke up.”

When they woke up? “Do you mean by waking up, that you seemed to...snap out of a dream?”

“Yea. We all know we’re Class 768-G, and we volunteered for the summer school program. But none of us remembers boarding this bus, or even anything before now today at all. It’s kind of like a movie, ya know? We had our entire life played before us...And then we kind of just stumbled back out into reality.”

Shido wouldn’t deny he had that same feeling. Oddly, he decided to remember everything in his life up until the present. It was a bit jarring, but they felt like his memories. They just felt...off, for some reason.

Shido already was a bit nervous. “Could we have been knocked out and thrown onto this bus without any of us remembering it?”

“A lot of people came to that conclusion,” Takehiko admitted. “And currently...It’s the only explanation we have. Somehow, we got onto this bus without realizing it. Though that would be weird. At least one of us would have to remember what happened. There are sixteen of us, for shit’s sake! Someone has to know at least a bit more than we do!”

Shido looked back out the window. He found it was the only thing he could do, having no response to that exclamation.

The view was completely covered in trees. He couldn’t even see the sky, or anything in front of the bus. And the trees just seemed to go on forever, with no sign of stopping. 

“Is Monolith Valley really so dense with trees?” Shido wondered to Takehiko.

“Surprisingly, yes. Hope’s Peak only cleared out a road and the area for the summer school. Besides that, it’s been untouched for centuries, so there’s been plenty of tree growth. If the school is a success, they’ll probably clean out more of the trees, because they’re apparently impossible to navigate through.”

Shido frowned, then seemed to realize something. “Oh!” He looked over the bus seat in front of the two. “Who’s driving the bus if we’re all sitting here? Is it one of our Ultimate Counselors?”

Takehiko shrugged. “Nobody, actually. It’s either remote controlled, on a set of tracks, or programmed to follow a specific route. One of us went up to check it out, and it was completely electronic. There wasn’t even a seat, or any kind of buttons!”

“How strange...” Shido commented. “Then this can’t be a bus. Maybe a trolley?”

“Impossible!” Takehiko countered. “We took this bus from Hope’s Peak, right? There’s no damn way a whole trolley track was made just to go from there to the summer school, especially if they’re not sure the summer school would succeed.”

Shido placed a hand on his chin. “You do have a point there...”

“Well, if we’re just waiting for the ride to be over, how about we swap stories?” Takehiko suggested, running a hand in his hair. “It can pass the time.”

“Oh!” Shido was surprised at the suggestion. “Um...Alright.”

“I’ll go first, if that’s more comfortable. As you may already know, I’m part of that legendary Juzaburo clan. I was the third-eldest in a batch of eight kids, and I had about...I wanna say twenty cousins? So I was chosen as the heir of the title, and getting the best training.”

Shido was surprised. “You were chosen out of almost thirty contestants? You must really be talented.”

“Duh! I’m the fucking Ultimate Ninja! I gotta be...well, Ultimate! So from a young age, I was given the most rigorous and brutal training out of all my siblings and cousins. Beatdowns, sneak attacks, you name it, I survived it. Pretty soon, I was the best out of all of the others. And then I was sought out by Hope’s Peak pretty quick after that. My entire family pressured me to go.” Takehiko scoffed. “I didn’t actually have a choice, you see. If I didn’t accept, I would have probably been stripped of my title as Juzaburo heir on the spot.”

Shido winced. “Family pressure, huh?”

“I don’t blame them,” the Ultimate Ninja admitted. “Hope’s Peak is the school to go to. Denying it is just stupid.”

Shido smiled bitterly. “So in the end, your family still loved you, huh?”

“More than anything in the world! The clan is tight, you get it? No man or woman isn’t family, unless they bring dishonor!” Takehiko chuckled at seemingly gaining a fond memory. “Families are the best.”

“I wouldn’t know that,” Shido admitted, and Takehiko looked suddenly confused. “The Norihisas are...a noble family, living up in the high life. Th-They applied a strict and controlling life on me. But I...I didn’t want any of that. I began dancing, and soon after became...addicted to it. I began to dance out with others, and soon, I-I had gained a personal name for myself. B-But...my family was furious.” He subconsciously rubbed his cheek. “I got hurt a lot.”

“What?!” Takehiko exclaimed, jaw dropping. “Your family hurt you?!”

Shido looked confused. “Didn’t you say yours did?”

“Yea, but...That was to make me stronger! It was training! They had no malicious intent behind it! But yours...did.”

The Ultimate Dancer looked nervous. “Y-Yea...I guess so. Anyways, I was also getting interested into feminine things, like...makeup and girly colors. I used to get bullied a lot for it, being called a ‘peacock’ and all that.” Shido laughed, as if it was a joke. “My reputation really began to go downhill, and...it all got worse when Hope’s Peak sought me out.”

Takehiko tilted his head. “Isn’t Hope’s Peak a good thing?”

“No, it is! But...I was kicked out of my home the moment the letter was found. I was forced to go to Hope’s Peak. I didn’t have any other choice. And when the summer school program was open...I jumped on it as fast as I could. I barely made it. I had to do it. It was the only thing I could do to even make it alone.”

Takehiko sat back a bit, as if recoiling. Shido was rubbing his face with his gloved hand. Tears were pouring down his face involuntarily.

Before he knew it, Takehiko was hugging Shido. “Hey,” he spoke softly. “It’ll be alright. This summer school will give you plenty of time to just sit back and think about what to do. And if you still don’t know by the end of it, you can come with me back to my family. We’ll be happy to help you.”

Shido looked up, eyes now a bit bloodshot and his slight dabs of mascara smudged a bit. “H...Huh? Really?”

“Yea! So don’t cry! You’re kind of smudging your makeup.”

“Oh. Oh, Yea.” Shido looked at his glove now having a few dark streaks on it.”How bad is it?”

“Eh, not too bad. I can’t see much of a difference, so I doubt others would.”

All of a sudden, there was a hissing noise. The bus braked to a stop, and both were jostled forward. Immediately, all of the conversation around them died down, everybody going quiet.

Then, a younger kid’s voice cried out, “Finally! My butt’s been getting sore from these cheap seats!”

“Yuji!” An older one called, and Shido looked to see a brunette scolding a lighter-haired boy. Both wore warpaint, and had the same design of a crosshair on their clothes. “People don’t wanna hear that!”

A brown-skinned man pushed his glasses up his nose. “It seems we’ve reached our destination, haven’t we?”

With not a moment to waste, one of the kids stood up. He had wild purple hair, a red scarf, and a childish glimmer in his eyes. “Eh, let’s go! I wanna see the summer school!” He bolted down the small lane between the seats.

“Hey, wait up!” A black-haired girl with a multi-colored array in her clothing shot up and ran after him.

A white-haired girl wearing mostly blues softly giggled to herself. “Who knows what wonders await us within this prototype program?” She pondered aloud to the others.

“Well, we won’t figure it out sitting here!” A burly man with black hair and a sweater began to gesture for everyone to disembark. “Let’s go, everybody!”

Immediately, everyone began to pile off. Shido and Takehiko were in last place, stepping off of the bus after letting everyone else bypass them. Their feet hit the ground, and Shido looked up at the others.

He could count fourteen different students besides him and Takehiko. All of them were a colorful cast, ranging in sizes and colors. Barely a single one matched the other, excluding the two with the warpaint and crosshairs, who stood right next to each other. Everyone else had a completely different kind of imposing aura.

They all had their individual stance, looking at the two disembarking. It was kind of like one of those shows on the corner Shido used to do in his younger years, when he snuck out of his house to do his own thing. It was actually quite scary.

“You two are the last on the bus, right?” A man in formal wear with neat blonde hair asked. “Then that will make sixteen.”

“Then that’s it!” A blonde with a torn skirt and clashing sock heights declared with a chipper tone. “All sixteen students accounted for!”

The other weirdly-dressed girl matched her tone. “That’s so great, I could just BLAST the party poppers! Woo-hoo!”

Takehiko smiled a bit. “They all seem like quite the bunch, huh?”

Shido was overwhelmed, to say the least. These were his classmates for the next few months? He was definitely going to fade into obscurity! A talent like his is nothing against such a cast of perfect people!

Takehiko cleared his throat. “Anyways, I’m Takehiko Juzaburo, the Ultimate Ninja. And this is Shido Norihisa, the Ultimate Dancer.”

Shido was about to say something, but he heard someone either scoff or gag in disgust. He immediately shut up, closing the hand he was about to wave. He had no idea who it came from, but he got the message well.

“So, it seems that this is Monolith Valley,” the boy with the glasses pondered while glancing around. “How...lackluster.”

Shido looked around. Most of the area was covered in trees, making it impossible to see beyond them. However, the bus was parked by a small patch of a dirt road. Just in front of that was a sidewalk. And in front of that was a large, imposing building. It had a good number of floors, and could probably offer the students a good view of the trees around them. What confirmed it all to Shido was that Hope’s Peak’s symbol was ingrained on the front.

“This...This is the summer school of Monolith Valley,” Shido spoke softly.

Takehiko grinned. “It’s kind of beautiful,” he admitted. “I haven’t seen many buildings like it.”

“Hey, excuse me!” Someone suddenly called. “Students!”

Everybody looked down the short path to the doors of the summer school. There, five different people were standing there, waving at the sixteen students. Judging by their presence, they must be the Ultimate Counselors.

“Come on over here, students!” The one who spoke, the blonde in a red dress, called out again.

The younger boy with warpaint did a mock salute. “Yes, ma’am!” He called before immediately running over.

All of the other students were quick to follow. They all ran up to the five young adults standing at the doors of the summer school.

“Welcome to Monolith Valley Summer School!” The blonde declared. “We will be your counselors throughout this entire experience!”

“So feel free to come to us once you’re down with a problem, you hear me?” The one in ragged clothes and a purple bandanna declared, grinning to show an array of sharp teeth.

The other girl crossed her arms, giving a toothy grin as well. “Guess we should be introducin’ ourselves to ya, huh?”

The man with long, black hair and a red tie mostly covered by a dark grey button-up jacket shrugged. “Guess so,” he muttered.

Only the man with the buzzcut didn’t speak. He wore a green and dark grey mask over his mouth, so his lower face was completely obscured. All he did was look over the crowd a few times.

He set his eyes on one kid. A blonde with a shirt, shorts, and a satchel on his belt. The kid looked at him back, then tilted his head, seeming to be confused at the staring. The buzzcut man only seemed to flinch before looking away again.

Then, he looked at Shido. A sudden chill ran down the Ultimate Dancer’s spine at his gaze, seeming to glare a hole through his head. It may have just been him, but he swore that the man’s eyes just seemed to hold something...more. He didn’t know what, but it was...more.

“Hey, kid.” The man suddenly spoke, and Shido jumped. “The title’s the Yakuza. Don’tcha forget it, alright?”

  
  


The Yakuza...But what about his name? He didn’t even give him his first name. And why did he wear one glove? Actually, he’s seen that trend a few times in the fashion industry. That may be fashionable for some people, but it was weird to him.

“Don’t give me that look!” The Yakuza whined. “We’ll be goin’ by our titles that we had as Ultimates. No need fer a name.”

“Don’t be rude!” The dark-skinned girl scolded him.

“I’m tryin’ ta be honest!” The Yakuza snapped back with a bit of a teasing tone, probably smiling under his mask.

The blonde huffed. “Anyways...I’m the Princess. It’s a pleasure to meet you all.”

  
  


The Princess...While Shido liked her outfit, he noticed her socks almost instantly. They were black and white, with a strange red symbol on the black one. What exactly was that about?

The Princess smiled sweetly as Shido stared. “You know, it is impolite to stare at a woman’s legs like that.”

Shido yelped, even stumbling back a bit. “S-Sorry! I’m not interested in women! I swear! I was just l-looking at your socks!”

“Aw, great excuse, new guy!” The one in ragged clothes cheered. “I’ll be sure to remind myself to play the gay card to see how well it works!”

Shido was shaking a bit. “I-I’m telling the truth! I don’t like girls that way!”

“Riiiight...Anyways, I’m the Mechanic! Remember that, and we’ll all have a swell time in summer school!”

  
  


Again with the black and white coloring...This time, it was on his gloves. It was so strange...And was he truly equipped to handle the job as a counselor? He gave off such a delinquent aura, a sharp contrast to the other four, who carried a different, more proper form.

“Hey,” the black-haired one muttered coldly. “Do not assume the sexualities of students and believe he may be playing...the gay card.” Even he seemed to disbelieve the far-fetched association.

“I mean, he was starin’ at Missus Princess’s legs!” The Mechanic whined. “And he gets off scot-free?!”

“...Missus Princess?” The Princess repeated the nickname, looking a tad uncomfortable.

“Moving on!” The dark-skinned girl tried to save the conversation. “I’m the Athlete, kids. Come to me if you need to flush out your breakfast donut or whatever it is you know you’ll regret eating!”

  
  


Shido took a moment to spot it, but saw the exact same black and white coloring on the Athlete’s pants. And it even had red cuffs, the exact red like the symbol on the Princess’s sock. Just what was going on with the black, white, and red coloring?

Finally, the black-haired man made a ‘hmph’ noise. “I guess that leaves me, doesn’t it?”

“It’s all on you,” the Mechanic agreed.

“Fine. I’m Hope. That is all.”

  
  


Hope? That was a talent? And this man had it? And Shido also noticed the lack of white in his clothing, despite the black and red. Why were the Yakuza and Hope the only ones without the complete set of coloring, or at least just black and white?

“Well then!” The Princess cheered. “That is everybody! I hope you will all accept us as your Ultimate Counselors!”

The Yakuza seemed to have another cocky grin under his mask. “Now, all of y’all need to get yer school supplies, don'tcha?”

The blonde girl made a curious noise. “Supplies? Like papers and pencils?”

“Nah, those really won’t be used,” the Athlete admitted. “What’s much more important is IDs, right?”

Takehiko looked surprised. “Huh? Ya got IDs for us?”

“Real as can be, AND state of the art!” The Yakuza declared. “They ain’t just normal IDs, too. They’re useful fer a wide variety of things! Think of them as...yer school handbooks!”

As if out of nowhere, a box was slammed down onto the ground in front of the sixteen students. It was so fast, Shido didn’t even see which counselor had set down the box. A few in the front were able to lean forward and peered at what’s inside. 

About sixteen electronic pads were stacked neatly in the box. All of them had the same coloring of black and white halved down the middle. The exact same red symbol on the Princess’s sock was on the back, right in the middle and right on the line of the halved parts.

“Introducin’ your Monobooks!” The Mechanic cheered. “I made them myself.”

The white-haired girl picked one up. “Hmm...” She hummed. “How...exquisite.”

“They all look completely identical,” a smaller student with a paint-splattered shirt complained. “How will we know whose is whose?”

“Don’t worry,” Hope droned. “When you turn on the Monobook, your name will immediately appear. That way, there is no confusion.”

Deciding to see this, Shido grabbed a random Monobook. Looking around at everyone grabbing a random one as well, he turned on the Monobook. Immediately, Hope’s words were confirmed. The name “Takehiko Juzaburo” flashed onto the screen, confirming the identity of the Monobook.

“Takehiko?” Shido called. “I got yours.”

“Aw, sweet. Thanks.” Takehiko took it from Shido. “Now I gotta find a ‘Yoshie Kazushi’, so I’ll be right back!” Without another word, he entered the crowd of students, calling out the name.

Shido watched him go until he felt a tap on his shoulder. Yelping, he spun on his heel, eyes wide.

The blonde girl was there, watching them. She herself seemed surprised at his yell, and had leaned back when he turned to her. She blinked a few times, seeming to try and regain her bearings.

“You’re Shido, right?” She inquired.

“U-Um...Yes,” Shido stammered. “I am.”

“Then here!” Without warning, she shoved a Monobook right into his face. “This one is yours!”

Shaking from the sudden near-attack, Shido gingerly took what was apparently his Monobook. “Um...Thank you.”

“No problem!” Without even giving her name, she ran back into the crowd, quickly abandoning him. “Bye!”

What a strange individual. Shido might have to remember that oddball personality later on.

“But can everyone hear me out?” The Princess called. She definitely seemed to be the leader type, fitting to her Ultimate talent. As the students looked at her, she declared, “Unfortunately, you all arrived ahead of time, so a lot of places are closed off currently due to not being prepared! Really, only the first floor is accessible to you all.”

The Yakuza added, “That means that ya ain’t allowed ta go up a floor or so, or go to the back of the school to the campground area. Ya can only stay in this here courtyard, or roam around the first floor till we say so. And even then, the main hall on the first floor is also off-limits fer the time being. Don’t worry, we’re just settin’ up the welcome party there.”

“Plus, some of the Monobook functions’re excluded at the moment,” the Mechanic added. “The summer school regulations haven’t been finalized, so that tab is empty. But you still have your school ID on it and the ability to view other IDs of your classmates, so that works.”

“They also have the ability to unlock specific doors,” the Athlete added. “These Monobooks are the key to opening gender-coded doors and private doors, like your dorms. Don’t worry, those are on the first floor, so you can access them at this time.”

“Aaaand...” The Mechanic scratched his chin. “Yep! That’s it! Everyone can go!”

“We need to continue preparations,” Hope explained. “I will handle the rules. The rest of you, continue planning.”

“Have a good time until the welcome party is ready!” The Athlete declared before all five began to walk back into the summer school.

The sixteen students stood there, watching the counselors enter the school. The doors closed behind them, leaving the newcomers outside with each other.

“Eh...So we can explore now, right?” The purple-haired boy asked innocently.

“It seems we have now been given free range,” the white-haired girl replied, placing her hand over her soft smile.

“Aw, yeah!” The older boy with the crosshair design explained. “My feet have been gettin’ numb for sittin’ on that stupid bus for so long!”

“Same here, big brother!” The younger one replied. “Let’s spring around the first floor to warm up!”

“You’re on!” Both brothers immediately bolted for the door.

“Hey, wait up!” A red-haired boy in a green jacket followed after. “I want to see what the first floor has to offer!”

“Then I guess I shall go, too.” The white-haired woman went down the walk to the door. “I grow tired of standing outside.”

Soon, most of the students were entering the school. Only Shido, Takehiko, and a few others remained outside, either taking in the scenery or a bit overwhelmed to move.

“We arrived early?” Takehiko scoffed. “Sure felt like a long drive. Maybe we got delayed on the way?”

Shido was now involuntarily shaking again. “Th-This isn’t right,” he realized. “We black out on a bus, and we’re...early? I don’t like this!”

“Calm down!” Takehiko exclaimed. “We can probably figure out from the counselors the whole blackout issue. Maybe they’ll have an answer?” He shrugged. “Anyways, whether you’re scared or not, we’re stuck here. So the first thing we gotta do is know our way around, with both the school and the students!”

Shido forced himself to stop shaking. It was a horrible habit he picked up from his earlier years of timidity. It would happen whenever he had the slightest worry about something, and a stammering issue would soon follow. How pathetic. He was probably embarrassing himself in front of his classmates.

But...Takehiko was right. He needed to learn who was going to be with for the remainder of this summer. Exploring the school and learning names to put to faces doesn’t sound like a bad idea.

“Okay,” he murmured. “Let’s go wander around, I guess.”


	2. Prologue-2: One-Way Bus Trip To Hell

Shido and Takehiko still stood outside in the courtyard. There weren’t many other people standing nearby. Only the blonde with the eccentric clothing and the small boy in the paint-splattered jacket stood around.

Shido decided to go up to the blonde, first. “H...Hi,” he said. “I’m Shido Norihisa.”

“Oh, duh-doy!” She exclaimed with an air of exasperation. “You just got introduced by Takehiko, like, ten minutes ago!”

“O-Oh. Right.” Shido berated himself in his mind. He’s already embarrassed himself in front of a classmate. No doubt she would endlessly taunt him with this slipup.

“Anyways, I’m Kohaku Hikozaemon, the Ultimate Illusionist! What a pleasure to meet you!”

_ “No wonder her clothes are so odd. She’s the Ultimate Illusionist. Apparently, she’s so good with her talent, people don’t even know her past. A lot of people don't even know how she does her tricks. Some people say it’s mundane tricks of the light, and others can say it’s magic itself.” _

“Ultimate Illusionist...” Shido murmured. “Your clothes certainly match up to your talent, I guess...”

“Hey! Are you calling my clothes weird?!”

“Ah! Sorry, sorry! I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to sound rude!”

Takehiko chuckled. “Well, those clothes certainly aren’t normal.”

Kohaku pouted. “Yea, but not only are they comfy, they’re really fashionable! And the best part is, if they’re weird, nobody tries to steal your style! It’s a win-win, isn’t it?”

“Yea, but...who exactly are you?” Takehiko questioned. “I don’t have a story behind your name.”

“Oh, that’s easy! I come from a long line of witches, cursed by mankind to take mortal forms so we do not rise up and devour the souls of children!”

“H-Huuuuuh?!” Shido screamed.

Kohaku giggled. “Nope! It’s a lie!”

Takehiko groaned. “Of course it is. That sounds way too stupid and far-fetched. Don’t listen to any of her long-winded stories, Shido. She’s trouble, I can tell.”

“Of course you would be so skeptical, Mr. Ninja!” Kohaku groaned. “You’re all about the serious shiz, huh!”

“No fucking way!” Takehiko seemed to actually be offended at that. “Don’t paint me up as the bad guy here!”

Kohaku’s subject seemed to suddenly change. “Hey. Did you guys notice something weird?”

Shido paused. “Something...weird?”

“Yea! There’s only three girls here!” Kohaku groaned. “Am I gonna have men chasing me throughout this summer school?”

Takehiko pouted while thinking. “Well...Maybe girls just didn’t wanna sign up for the school? I don’t know. But yeah, when you do point it out, it’s at least a lil’ bit weird, now.”

Despite putting up some hostile barriers, Shido felt like Takehiko could get along with Kohaku. They had that same delinquent aura, but at the same time still proper and knowing their boundaries. Some time here in summer school, and they could get along very well.

Next was the paint-covered boy. He was standing closer to the door, away from the conversation. Shido also noticed he was quite small, especially for someone who was in their high school years. Their height indicated middle school at best.

“Um...Hello there,” Shido said.

“Oh!” The boy seemed surprised. “You’re talking to me? Well...Shido Norihisa. Right? I’m Haruki Ryobe, the Ultimate Painter!”

_ “I should have known it was the Ultimate Painter by the shirt alone. Apparently, Haruki has created dozens of works, and hasn’t earned a single penny from them. Instead, he’s donated them all to a lot of charity organizations. His paintings are sometimes so lifelike, a lot of people can’t tell them from photographs.” _

“You’re the Ultimate Dancer, right? That’s cool! We’re both very artistic, like two peas in a pod!”

Shido found himself blushing at the compliment. “W-Well...I wouldn’t say that I’m on the same level as you.”

“Yea, you’re right. You’re probably much more talented than me. You probably know all of these amazing dance moves across the spectrum, and here I am as just some guy that excels in realism.”

“W-Wait! No! I-I was saying I’m below you!”

Haruki shook his head. “No...That can’t be right. I think you’re just trying to compliment me.” He suddenly grinned. “But I know you’re awesome! You got into Hope’s Peak Academy, after all!”

Takehiko laughed a bit. “Just give up, Shido. Haruki won’t let you talk bad about yourself.”

“Ah...O-Okay.”

Shido certainly felt overwhelmed by Haruki’s enthusiasm. Whatever negativity he directed towards himself, the other would immediately take the hate upon himself while praising Shido at the same time. He felt that Haruki may work hard to pound out every negative thing he tried to direct on himself.

Takehiko tapped Shido on the shoulder, surprising him. “Hey. Everyone else is inside. Let’s continue introductions there.”

“O-Oh! Yes, right!”

Going inside, both of them were immediately greeted by a large, homely entrance hall. Splashes of green and gold made up the entire walls. To the left seemed to be the entrance to the first floor. To the right was a locked door. The plaque next to it labelled it as “2F.” It must lead higher up the summer school. There was also a strange TV on the wall in the corner.

In the main entrance, there were three people standing around. One was in a red jacket with a yellow cape. The second one near the locked door was the excitable kid with the purple hair. And the one near the entrance to the first floor was the muscular boy in the sweater.

Shido approached the one in the red jacket. “Um...H-Hello.”

“Hm?” He looked with a steely gaze. When Shido flinched, his glare softened up. “Ah. I didn’t mean to scare you. That’s my resting face.”

“I-I...I see.”

“We’ve gotten off on the wrong foot now, haven’t we...?” He cleared his throat. “My name is Tamotsu Sugita. I am the Ultimate Anti-Hero.”

_ “Tamotsu Sugita...This man has earned his title rather well. He’s busted numerous criminal rings, and has also exposed a lot of abusive family histories. But he doesn’t adhere to the law, per say. He rather bends it to his will to get what he wants out of it.” _

“I see...” Tamotsu was studying something on Shido’s face.

Shido looked a bit unnerved. “You see...what?”

“A slight stutter in your voice, your volume inherently low, and yet your posture is proper and sharp, but shy at the same time, as if failing at this would lead you to be punished...” He jabbed Shido in the chest with a finger. “You’ve suffered from abuse in your childhood that caused you to be this way, haven’t you?”

“I...I wouldn’t say...abuse, but-”

“Don’t lie to me, or bluff for your family. I can read your entire body like a book. I also know the unhealthy impacts to a person’s wellbeing from abuse from their supposed loved ones. Tell me, what was your last name?”

“N...Nori...hisa.”

Tamotsu nodded slowly, crossing his arms. “Norihisa...I will remember that for a later time.”

Shido instantly panicked. “D-Don’t kill them!”

“Hm...Fine. I’ll only devastate their futures by explaining their horrific actions to the public.”

“Agh! T-Takehiko! Help me out here!”

Takehiko looked shocked. “Wh-Why are you looking to me for guidance here?!”

Tamotsu may rub Shido the wrong way for threatening his family, but he knew that he was a good person. He was just being protective of somebody like him. With enough talking, they could probably get along very well.

Next was the purple, energetic kid. Despite the counselors telling him the door was locked, he seemed ready to pounce on the doorknob to the second floor. Such a bright and cheery aura emanated from him, a stark contrast to Shido’s introverted behavior.

Before Shido could say anything to him, the mysterious boy spoke up first. “Hey, hey, hey! I’m Yuuki Shunsho! It’s really nice to meet new people!”

_ “Yuuki Shunsho...? Oh, that’s right! That was the name of the mysterious sixteenth student with no listed talent. I have no idea who this person is, but perhaps I can learn now who he is.” _

Takehiko seemed to realize the same thing. “Yuuki Shunsho, right? You were that guy with no information in the infomercials each student was given.”

Yuuki tilted his head. “Eh? Infomercial?”

Shido nodded. “Yea...Everybody got one from Hope’s Peak to learn about their classmates. Didn’t you get one?”

“Eh...What’s a Hope’s Peak?”

Takehiko looked shocked. “What the hell are you saying, man? You’re a student there, like all of us!”

“Oh, I am? I never knew that.” Yuuki chuckled. “Eh, to be honest, I...don’t remember anything at all. All I remember is my name, and the fact that I was on that bus.”

Takehiko blinked. “You...gotta be joking, right? You don't remember anything?”

“Nuh-uh! Not a tad!”

Shido tried to think. “M-Maybe the blackout did more damage to him than it did to us?”

“Hrm...Maybe?” Takehiko pursed his lips. “But still, forgetting everything except your name...That’s so unnatural, man!”

All Yuuki did was shrug. “Oh, well. I’m definitely sure I’ll regain them sometime soon. Like how all of us will regain our memories about that weird blackout you all keep mentioning!”

Shido frowned. “So even you don’t know what your talent is?”

“Eh? I got one?”

Yuuki seemed scatterbrained, but a genuinely happy-go-lucky boy. He was bound to make at least a few friends in this summer school. If not, Shido had a strong feeling that he’ll pursue somebody like him endlessly for the prospect of friendship.

Finally, there was the muscular man in the sweater. He towered over so many people, it felt scary just to stand by him. Shido subconsciously kept some space in between them when he walked up.

“Hello there, Shido.” The man spoke with a friendly warmth in his voice. “My name is Daiki Sorai, the Ultimate Ship Captain. I hope we can get along well.”

_ “Daiki, the Ultimate Ship Captain...He’s sailed all around the world with his personal ship, the “S.S. Beast Tamer”. I’ve heard he knows multiple languages and cultures, learned from all of his ventures.” _

Daiki smiled at Shido. “So you’re the Ultimate Dancer, right? Do you know the art of flamenco?”

Shido looked surprised. “You know of it?”

“I actually learned a bit when I sailed to Mexico for a few weeks, and made a few friends there. If you know it, I’ll be happy to learn the rest.”

Shido was actually happy about the interest in dance. “If you’re really interested, I-I guess I can try teaching you.”

“As you can tell, Daiki’s really strong, too,” Takehiko added. “He can probably strongarm anyone in this building!”

“Well, except for that Ultimate Weapons Expert,” Daiki admitted. “I really wouldn’t want to tussle with him.”

Takehiko chuckled a bit nervously. “Yea, I see your point.”

Daiki made a very good first impression, with his interest in dance and his obvious appeal to culture. He also seemed to have a heart of gold, denouncing his initial, almost threatening appearance.

That did it for everybody in the main entrance. Now it was time to enter the rest of the first floor. Placing a hand on the door, Shido slipped into the school portion.

Immediately, he was met with a wide room. But he noticed that it had many doors, leading to various places. And behind him, he could see a hallway with multiple doors in it. Those had to be the dorms. There were doors to the dining hall, the main hall, which was obviously locked, a nurse’s office, a laundry room, about three classrooms, and what seemed to be a music room. Shido was especially intrigued by the last one. And there was another one of those TVs, too.

Only two people stood in the room connecting all of the facilities. One was the dark-skinned man with the glasses. The other was the graceful-looking girl with the white hair and strange red eyes.

His interest peaked by the latter, Shido went over to her. “H...Hello.”

“...Oh! It’s you again.” Did she actually seem upset? “I was hoping we would not run into each other. I hate looking at you.”

“You...You don’t even know who I am,” Shido pointed out.

“I know enough. Wearing heels and makeup while claiming such a feminine talent...I know what you are. Male scum who dress up to act so pretty, but are disgusting and depraved on the inside.”

Takehiko glared. “Who are you to shoot on fashion? You look like a cosplayer!”

“Oh? You do not know?” She lightly giggled. “Well, then. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Hiroko Nariakira. The Ultimate Mage. Do try to not cross me.”

_ “The Ultimate Mage...Even if magic doesn’t exist, she somehow has this title as being the best with it. I don’t exactly know what her Ultimate talent indicates of her, but...She seems quite vile upon first impressions. But perhaps she is not all that bad.” _

Hiroko scoffed. “You’re also cheap.”

“H-Huh?”

“Your eyeliner is hideously smudged. Did you really apply it so horribly?”

Shido gulped. “W-Well, I cried a little on the bus-”

“Oh, really? Your femininity is so very faux, it’s embarrassing.”

Takehiko immediately leapt to Shido’s defense. “Hey! I’m pretty sure he’s more secure about himself than you, bitchbag!”

“Then why do I still have a roof over my head and having not had a banishment from my family not broadcasted worldwide?” Hiroko smiled behind a delicate hand placed over her face.

Shido was close to tears again. “Y-You...!”

Takehiko was already grabbing him and pulling him away. “Alright, let’s not interact with her anymore.”

Hiroko had immediately slammed him where it hurt. Shido was involuntarily crying, only making it worse and showing weakness to her. She’s going to ruthlessly torment him this entire summer school, he knows it.

The boy with the glasses seemed to not have seen what had happened, or just didn’t care. He was looking away, his mind in another dimension when Shido approached him.

“...Um...Hello?” Shido tried, but got no answer. “Excuse me?”

The boy snapped to attention. “Oh. Oh! I apologise for seeming rude! I was just thinking of other things in that moment! My name is Kyou Shun, the Ultimate Organizer! Let’s all study hard and get along here in Monolith Valley, ‘kay?”

_ “Kyou Shun: a prodigy at birth, and a leader his entire life. He’s organized district-wide protests before without breaking a sweat. He knows exactly what to do to influence the minds of the media, and how to do it. It’s actually kind of scary how good he is.” _

“Oh! Do you mind sitting still for a moment?”

Shido did so. “Huh? Um, okay.”

At once, Kyou whipped out a...towel? Where was he keeping it? Without any word of approval, he began to lightly dab on Shido’s face underneath his eyes.

“You poor thing,” he cooed. “You made a mess of your eyeliner, didn’t you? It’s okay. I can help you reapply it and give you back a wonderful wing shape!”

Shido looked surprised. “You...will?”

“Of course! Order and cleanliness is the first step to a prosperous school lifestyle, and I am happy to help my fellow students at any time!”

Shido smiled. “Th...Thank you.”

Kyou was definitely a nice person. It was scary what he could do, but he does know how to make good first impressions. Shido would definitely put him on the higher-ranked part of his favorite students list.

He didn’t know why, but Shido had a strong desire to check out the dining hall next. He walked through the already opened doors to see who was inside.

Of course, Shido immediately spotted yet another small TV on the wall. The blonde boy that the Yakuza had singled out during the meeting with the counselors was by the salad bar, probably picking off fruits to eat them every now and then. Also, the boy with red hair and a green jacket was at the tables, seeming to inspect their quality.

The redhead was closer to him, so Shido approached him. “Hey, um...Hello.”

“Oh hello there, darling.” The redhead smiled, twirling a curl of his hair. “It’s the one and only Akio Bussho, the Ultimate Archer! A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Norihisa.”

_ “Akio Bussho, huh? Like me, he was raised in the upper class. However, instead of being kicked out by his family, his talent was praised and shown off by his family. As the Ultimate Archer, he’s gotten his hands dirty in numerous different competitions, breaking records and wooing the hearts of men and women in the process.” _

Akio observed Shido’s form. “You know, for the Ultimate Dancer, I expected someone...”

“Taller? Tanner? More muscled? Less pathetic?” Shido began stabbing in the dark.

“If you finish the sentence...” Takehiko forewarned.

“No, no, no, and especially no!” Akio exclaimed. “I meant more braggy about it! You seem to be quite humble!”

“Th-There’s nothing to brag about,” Shido mumbled. “My talent is...diminished in the face of all of yours.”

Akio huffed. “Well, such an outlook is not good. Regardless, you are definitely better at something than everyone else here, so you have that going for you, which is nice.”

“I...I guess you’re right.” Shido didn’t seem particularly convinced by Akio’s words.

Akio seemed nice enough, like a lot of the other people here. Shido knew by now that they all were probably just acts to be sympathetic to a piece of garbage like him.

The other boy in the room was chewing on a whole tomato shoved into his mouth as if it were an apple. Shido was very off put by the way of eating, but tried to shove the feeling away.

“Uh?” The boy looked up when the other approached, half of the tomato still lodged in his mouth. “Uh, huwwo.”

As he bit down, Shido trembled a bit at his non-flinching face still gazing directly at him. “Um...Hi.”

Chewing on the tomato in his mouth on one side of his jaw, the boy stuck out a hand to shake. “Akihiko Kenjiro! Ultimate Knight!”

_ “The Ultimate Knight, huh? I heard that he was raised in a really high-ranking family in a different country, but changed his name to Japanese in order to blend with the locals better. And yet, I never expected someone so...skinny and pale to be the supposed Ultimate Knight. Well, I guess that explains all of the band-aids.” _

“Ah. Nice to meet you, too.” Shido would shake his hand, but he could see it shine in the light, and kind of worried what Akihiko had gotten on his hands while on his eating spree. “Akihiko...Kenjiro.”

“Yea, I don’t think it’s good myself,” Akihiko admitted, lowering his arm. “But I got it so I seemed less like a foreign exchange student, and more like a friend and ally. So Yea! It’s just Akihiko.” He took another huge bite out of the tomato.

Takehiko was understandably creeped out. “Hey, dude! How can you even eat a tomato like that?!”

“Hm? Uh...I do?” Akihiko seemed to identify nothing wrong about his way of eating. “I like to eat food, is that a problem?”

“No, but...to eat a tomato like an apple...” Shido murmured.

“Hey! Enjoying food is one of the basic human parts of life! Screw being delicate, I just wanna eat! I enjoy the flavors, and I get them by any way possible!”

If he’s this passionate about food, Shido worried how passionate he was about his work. Of course, such dedication is fundamental to working happily and healthily, but...then again, the healthily part may be out of the ballpark, seeing his food obsession...

“Oh, and Shido?” Akihiko paused. “That’s your name, right?” Shido nodded. “Have we met before?”

Shido blinked. “No, I...don’t think we have.”

“Hm...Then maybe I’m mistaking you for somebody else, but...I could’ve sworn you felt familiar somehow.” Akihiko shrugged. “Ah, I’m sure it’ll either go away or come to me eventually.” He snagged another bite of his tomato.

Shido did the math in his head. There were only five more people he hasn’t met yet. If he was right, they would all be in either the laundry room or the music room. He can’t fathom any reason they would be in the nurse’s office or the classrooms.

Shido went back out into the main room, then crossed over into the laundry room. There was nothing immediately special about it. There was just some clothes hanging from a few lines and a neat array of washing machines, but that was it, aside from a table covered with magazines, probably to preoccupy people while their laundry was being done.

Inside, there were both of the brothers, sitting at the table across from each other. The older one was obviously checking out a fashionista magazine and its cover girl, while the younger brother was surfing through a gun catalog.

“Hey, big brother!” The younger one pointed at a gun. “Look at this! Apparently, they’ve engineered a gun that can heal people!”

“Well, doesn’t that remove the point of a gun’s purpose to shoot and kill people?” The older one looked exasperated.

“Yea, but...it’s cool, ain’t it?”

Shido walked up to them. “Um...Hello, you two.”

The older one closed the fashionista magazine. “Oh hey, buddy! Shido Norihisa, right? You’re rockin’ those heels.” As Shido immediately blushed, he stood up and stuck out a hand. “Yukio Izo, the Ultimate Gunner!”

The younger one stood up as well and did another of his mock salutes. “And I’m Yuji Izo, the Ultimate Protege!”

“And together, we are...” Both pumped their fists and yelled with glee. “The duo HEADSHOT!”

_ “Yukio and Yuji Izo, a dynamic duo to last throughout the century. Not many siblings both become Ultimates, so already, they’re amazing. However, they’ve not only broken records on the range with state of the art guns, they’ve also topped the charts of gaming tournaments in terms of shooter games. And then there is Yuji’s unnatural ability of learning everything he needs to know at record speeds and at face value. These two are unstoppable together, but still a legitimate threat apart.” _

“Man...” Takehiko muttered. “I feel threatened just looking at you guys, and I’m the Ultimate Ninja! How can you guys get on my nerves like this? It’s incredible!”

“Oh?” Yuji tilted his head. “I thought all Ultimates knew the secret!”

Shido seemed confused. “The...secret?”

Yukio grinned. “The secret is...exploit your Ultimate talent to the fullest! Use it to become the best! That is how we get our threatening auras! We’ve made ourselves known across the globe to audiences everywhere!”

Takehiko frowned. “Right...I’m really only known in Japan. I guess that’s why I get so unnerved by you guys. You’ve got way more people backing you up.”

“Aw, don’t worry! As the Ultimate Dancer and Ninja, I’m sure you guys have the ability to make your presence known!” Yuji grinned. “If you don’t believe that, we’ll believe it for you! As brothers by bond!”

“Yea!” Yukio added. “You guys can join the club! Be honorary HEADSHOT members!”

Takehiko sighed. “I would be honored if that wasn’t what you always say to your younger audience.”

Yuji nervously laughed. “Yea...We need to think of a better way to put it here. Don’t worry, it’ll come to us, and you can be the first to know!”

These two were also extremely passionate...It actually invigorated Shido to watch them go. But still, Takehiko was right. There was this imposing aura around them both. Knowing that they’re worldwide famous really made Shido even more like useless filth.

This just left the music room. Shido was particularly excited about this one, for obvious reasons. But he was also hoping there was a piano in there. It was his favorite instrument.

Inside of the music room, there were the last three people. The blonde man in a suit was next to a piano, which made Shido’s heart soar in joy. The girl in the odd clothing was by a set of speakers, probably testing to see if they worked. And a large man with a very threatening appearance was in the corner, just silently glaring with only one eye visible.

Not knowing what compelled him to, Shido walked up the threatening man, first. “H...Hello.”

“...” The man stayed completely silent.

“What’s...your name?”

“...” The man looked to the side, crossing his arms. “Asuka Akira. Ultimate Weapons Expert.”

_ “The Ultimate Weapons Expert...He’s exactly what his Ultimate Talent denounces him to be. He knows everything about weapons, even the non-military ones. He probably knows any kind of weapon from across the world. Could he have possibly learned to use any of them as well?” _

“Hm...” Asuka glanced Shido over. “That’s strange.”

“Huh? Wh-What is?”

“For an Ultimate Dancer...you are pale and skinny.” Asuka glared.

Shido gulped at the stare. “W-Well...I don’t...get out often?”

“Then that’s weird. How did you become the Ultimate Dancer exactly? If it doesn’t involve committing hours to the public, it’s probably bogus.”

He could already tell that Asuka was getting suspicious, so he thought fast. “That’s...a secret.”

“Yes...” Asuka nodded unconvincingly. “A secret.”

Asuka really creeped Shido out. It may have been his red eyes, or his piercing glare, or really anything else about him. But Shido knew that they definitely did not get off on the correct start. Perhaps later on during the summer school, they can mend that.

Shido went over to the multicolored girl next. Indeed, upon closer inspection, she was screwing with the speakers, though for what purpose exactly, Shido did not know.

“Um...Hello,” Shido said.

Immediately, the girl popped onto her feet, scaring him a bit. “Oh! Hellooooo~! I’m Keiko Kanon, the Ultimate Party Planneeeeer, hoo hoo~!”

_ “Keiko Kanon...Apparently, she’s curated every known noble party in the past three years in the local area. She’s wanted everywhere by people who are just looking for a good time. However, I’m pretty sure she’s recently quit her job to pursue her academic learning in Hope’s Peak.” _

“Yea, that’s right!” Keiko cheered. “I’m not really working as a party planner nowadays.”

Shido gasped. “You...You heard me?! Did I talk out loud?”

Takehiko was already stepping back. “No, and that’s what creeps me out. She just spoke out of nowhere as if she was answering a question.”

“But I was!” Keiko whined. “Shido was wondering if I quit my job!”

“Yes, but...I didn’t say it out loud.”

“Don’t worry! I’m psychic!”

Shido paused. “You’re...what?”

Keiko laughed suddenly. “Oh, nope! I just have a really good intuition!”

Takehiko frowned. “I was about to doubt you, but there’s also the Ultimate Mage, so...I don’t really know what to believe.”

Keiko seemed nice, but...Now she was already giving Shido immensely creepy vibes. Was everyone like her, secretly out to get him? Really, only time will tell.

Finally, there was the man at the piano. He was stared at it fondly, as if treasuring the sight of the instrument much like Shido did upon first entering.

“Y-You know, I know a few songs on the piano,” Shido said, startling the man. “I could teach some to you if you are interested.”

“Ah, no.” He spoke with a soft, delicate voice. “I was just remembering some fond memories of the old organ in the orphanage I used to work at. All of the children playing it as a cacophony...I loved those small, chaotic moments.”

Shido found it hard to connect with the topic. “Yes, I...I see.”

“Oh! Where are my manners?” The man smiled softly. “I am Yoshie Kazushi, the Ultimate Caretaker.”

_ “Yoshie’s title denotes all you need to know about him. He’s an expert with children, knowing all of the body language each of them give off to tip off what exactly they want. I’ve heard he’s saved the lives of multiple innocents just by doing what no other bystander does: take them in. Seeing such a saint in person...it makes me feel like a horrible person in return.” _

“I’ve already met this guy, so I can tell you he’s a real softie,” Takehiko declared. “He’s got a really big soft spot for kids, I can confirm that.”

“Of course I do.” Yoshie lightly scoffed. “I have to to take care of children and uphold my Ultimate title.”

Shido looked back over at the instrument. “So the piano is important to you?”

“Well, not to me. It’s just a nice thing to reminiscence over, you know? It is important to have good memories behind the most insignificant things to others, so only you can have such a precious feeling towards that object.”

Shido smiled, still staring at the piano. “Yes, I...realize what you mean.”

Yoshie seemed to be a very peaceful man, one filled with wise words and philosophical knowledge. Something tells Shido that he would be very useful on his side instead of being an enemy.

That means that Shido’s met everybody in the summer school. His classmates for the next few months are now fully introduced to him, so any worries are now out of the way, except...

Takehiko noticed Shido fidgeting. “Hey, are you okay? You seem a bit stressed.”

“Huh? Oh, y-yes! Just...someone feels...off. I don’t know.”

Takehiko frowned. “You too?”

Shido was surprised. “You have the same feeling?”

“It’s been hitting me since we got here, man. All of this seems to add up and make sense, but at the same time...there’s something so off, but I can’t identify what it is! It’s making my ninja instincts go into haywire! I hate that I can’t figure out what’s bothering me!”

“M-Maybe it’s from the bus blackout,” Shido suggested. “Some lingering fear can be clinging onto us...”

“Yea. Yea, maybe. Or it could be that...”

Takehiko never got to finish the sentence, because that is when it all began. Everything that happened within the crevice of Monolith Valley began when that one TV in every room of the first floor lit up and revealed nothing but static, a silhouette, and a horrible feeling in everyone’s stomachs.

_ “School announcement system is raring to go! Testing, testing...ahem! This is the first announcement of Monolith Valley Summer School! This is your headmaster speaking. Your counselors have finally finished preparing the welcome party, so please gather in the main hall! That is all! Welcome to the summer semester!” _

That voice...was unreal. So high-pitched and childish, yet so dreadfully unnerving. It was like it didn’t belong, like an old wind-up soldier in an array of antique dolls framed into their individual beauty. It felt so wrong to hear that voice on the announcement system.

Takehiko was equally disturbed. “What...the fuck?”

“That voice...” Shido whimpered. “That couldn’t have been human. It was too...chilling.”

“They called themselves...our headmaster,” Takehiko said. “If they are, we gotta listen to that voice the entire school? Boy, I can’t wait.”

Shido was shaking at this point. All of the small little things were piling up into larger worries, and were ready to spill. He was on the verge of embarrassing himself and having a stupid panic attack.

No. No, he had to stay strong. He had to keep himself together. Crying would only invoke mocking and brutal words from his peers. He had to see this horrible idea through. Just survive the summer school, and instant graduation is in your hands.

Poor Shido could not comprehend the truth. The truth that this summer school was not one to cultivate the hope of the future.

Rather, it was dedicated to unearth the despair of the past.


	3. Prologue-3: One-Way Bus Trip to Hell

The students had vacated the first floor by the time Shido went to the main hall doors alone. The entire school body has moved into the hall, leaving him all alone outside.

The door eclipsed Shido’s small body as he stared up at them. On the other side stood this apparent welcome party, with every other student, the counselors, and this mysterious headmaster ready to celebrate.

Every step towards the door sent a new chill up his spine. Even reaching his hand to the door felt wrong, as if it was rigged to blow once he twisted the knob. His palm was sweaty under his glove, and he began to subconsciously rub his hands together.

He had no other choice. He had to go to this welcome party, no matter the bad feeling in all of this. Shoving all of his worry into the pit of his stomach, he shoved open the doors to enter.

The main hall was a lot bigger than he initially thought it to be. Not only were all of the students scattered around, the counselors were added to the mix, with plenty of space in between all of them. There were numerous chairs set up pointing towards the stage at the back of the main hall, but there was nobody at the table onstage. In fact, this mysterious headmaster was nowhere in sight.

“Hey, Shido!” Yukio waved. “Guess you now make sixteen! That means everybody’s here!”

Shido looked surprised. “This...is actually quite nicely set up.”

“Of course it is!” The Princess smiled sweetly. “All of us counselors worked very hard on it. We wanted to make you all feel at home and ease any worries you have.”

Yoshie gave a soft smile. “That is very considerate for all of you.”

“But wait!” Kyou exclaimed. “Where’s the headmaster that spoke on the announcement system?”

At once, a clear and shrill voice broke through. “Where AM I? Well, I was waiting for all of our precious students to arrive. Now that we are all present, please turn your attention to the stage!”

Everyone in the room turned to the stage. All of the students expected some middle-aged man or an elderly woman to pop out of the curtains behind the table. They held their breaths until...

...A black and white teddy bear leapt out and landed onto the table with a bang, nearly knocking over the microphone neatly set on it.

The students went dead quiet. This bear had just...appeared out of nowhere. Furthermore, it seemed to be the source of the shrill voice. So does that mean that it was to be the headmaster of the summer school?

Not only that, but Shido identified the coloring and symbol for its eye. It was the black, white, and red coloring so many of the counselors had. Even the Princess had the eye symbol on her sock. So was it indeed their leader?

“A...teddy bear!” Kohaku exclaimed.

“Eh? Is that our headmaster?” Yuuki questioned.

“No and yes!” The bear exclaimed. “No, I am not a teddy bear! And yes! I am the headmaster of this summer school, the one and only, the magnificent and glorious...Monokuma!” The bear leapt onto its feet in that moment, now standing on the table.

“It talks...AND moves!” Akio gasped. “Is this real?”

Akihiko raised his hands. “C-Calm down! I’m definite it’s just remote-controlled or magical! Hey, Hiroko! Is it magical?!”

Hiroko merely played with her hair a bit. “I’m not sensing any magical properties with it, so...no.”

Monokuma seemed offended. “I’m hurt by your words! ‘Just’ remote-controlled? I’m sure every advanced A.I. out there takes offense to that! We’re the pioneers of the future, after all! And no. I’m not magical. That would be too cliché.”

“So is an obviously malevolent A.I., but you do you, I guess,” Takehiko snarked.

“Well, my beloved students of Hope’s Peak Academy! I expect you to treat me with the honorifics of a headmaster on the duration of this summer school!”

“Yes, Headmaster Monokuma!” Kyou was quick to adapt, appropriately using the title.

Yukio scowled. “You submit to this so easily?”

Kyou put his hands on his hips. “Well, we have no idea what the headmaster is capable of with his A.I., so it may not be the best in mind to anger or disrespect him.”

“Correct, Kyou Shun!” Monokuma declared. “Going against my word is practically asking for the worst of punishments! And the punishments here are not to be taken lightly, so I ask you to not go against me, in order to ensure your safety and comfort within these walls!”

Safety and comfort? Did the headmaster just...threaten the students? Another chill shot down Shido’s spine.

Monokuma went on as if he never said that. “Now, then! Onto more important business! The Monolith Valley Summer School Program now has an extended duration, in order to achieve maximum success!”

“Extended duration?” Akihiko wondered. “By how long? A few weeks?”

“A bit longer than that, I’m afraid. The current duration for the program is...forever!” Monokuma chuckled. “Puhuhuhu...The summer school will now continue indefinitely, and you all are required to stay within the area for that period of time!”

“Eh? Indefinitely means forever, right?” Yuuki questioned. “Then it isn't a summer school persay, Headmaster...”

While Yuuki took it well, Tamotsu freaked out. “Forever? We’re going to stay here...f-forever?!”

“C-Calm down!” Daiki explained. “I’m sure this is...just a light joke!”

“I’m afraid not!” Monokuma said. “Ask the counselors, if you’re really not understanding it!”

Immediately, all of the students turned to the counselors, expecting to see giggling and maybe even nervousness about this obvious joke. Instead, all five of them had zero changes in their expression. They actually looked dead inside, with glassy eyes.

“Headmaster Monokuma is telling the truth,” the Princess stated rather coldly. “Your relocation to this summer school is permanent.”

“There ain’t a thing ta worry ‘bout!” The Yakuza was the only one that showed any sort of emotion, a form of relaxed happiness. He was the only one besides Monokuma with a light tone in his voice. “All of a human’s basic necessities are stocked daily, so don’t worry yer heads off about runnin’ out on anythin’!”

“That isn’t why we’re worried, Counselor,” Yoshie replied.

“No basic human can survive locked up in one place forever,” Hiroko chided. “You would go insane from the restrictions.”

Yuji tightened his fists. “Yea! As a headmaster, you value our health above all else! You gotta be lying!”

“I understand why you all are obsessed over lies,” Monokuma replied. “We live in an age where even your family can turn against you with honeyed words and promises of a bright future. Your baby girl could become a death machine, mommy can lose herself to her work, and your sweet daddy can undo everything that you’ve worked for just by willing it to be! Even your aunties and uncles aren’t safe from deception!”

“Cut this bullcrap!” Yukio exclaimed. “Let us outta here! I wanna speak to the Hope’s Peak headmaster! There has to be a way out!”

“Don’t you worry your stubborn little head off about that!” Monokuma said. “There’s a special rule, if you wish to leave so badly...But I’m hurt! Wasn’t it you all that wanted to come here so anxiously, and now you wish to leave?”

“The infomercials didn’t speak of a permanent residence here!” Akio exclaimed.

Monokuma sighed heavily. “And here I thought I was getting compliant students...oh well! You all would be happy to know there IS one way to leave Monolith Valley...”

Yuji’s face lit up. “Yes! I certainly am happy at that!”

“Well, speak up!” Takehiko yelled. “What’s this ‘one way’?”

“The act of graduation!” Monokuma answered cheerfully.

The words seemed harmless enough. But the way they were phrased scared Shido. Maybe it was because of Monokuma’s cheerful voice, or some other element, but...the Ultimate Dancer found himself fearing what this graduation was.

“Eh? Graduation?” Yuuki questioned. “That sounds quite harmless!”

Yoshie smiled. “Let me guess: graduation is excelling at our classes. If so, I believe all of us will be out of here in no time.”

Monokuma suddenly cut him off, mimicking a buzzer noise. “Errrr! Wrong you are! This summer school has nothing to do with classes this time around!”

“Nothing to do with...?” Daiki questioned. “Then why do we have classrooms?”

Takehiko groaned. “Then get to the point! What is graduation?!”

“Puhuhuhu...If you’re really so anxious to know...it is the act of murdering another member of the student body.”

At one, Shido’s world collapsed, and it hit him head on. This was not a summer school. This was not going to be fun. This was a death trap. This was meant to be a game of kill or be killed. And he, along with his barely-known friends, were at the center of it.

“Mur...der?” Yoshie’s calm demeanor suddenly dropped to show paralyzing fear. “D-Did I...hear you right?”

“T-To murder...a-another student, too!” Kohaku was on the verge of freaking out, as well.

“C-Cut the bullshit!” Asuka was shaking. “You're not seriously telling us to...to kill each other, right?! This...this is all one fat joke, right?!”

Monokuma seemed to survey the entire cast before him. His strange eye glowed with malicious intent, gleeful at the sudden despair setting over the students.

“I don’t care about the details! Sending into terminal velocity, stabbing, battered, bludgeoning, melting, hammering, burning, poisoning, maybe all of the above! Just the act of killing another student is fine! ‘Only a student who kills another student can leave’. A very simple rule, if I had to be frank. Puhuhuhuhu...Just seeing your despair-filled faces riles me up. Such betrayal and horror...the hope of the future becomes despair at the drop of a dime! It gets my heart all a-thump thump in excitement about the possible outcomes!”

“Quit bullshitting!” Takehiko snapped. “This...This is insane, you hear me?!”

“But that’s the point! The greatest of clarity comes from the highest concentrations of insanity. Believe me, I am helping you all. The future can only have the best to survive, you know! Weeding out the stupid and weak is the natural process of things!”

“B-But...!” Keiko was close to crying. “K-Killing each other...th-that doesn’t equal to the natural process!”

“Maybe it doesn’t! It’s just a simulation of the natural process, if we want to be exact! Still, the outcome is the same. Only the strong will make it through this summer school! Or should I say...this mutual killing game?”

Shido was shaking to the core at this point. “No...”

Monokuma actually heard him. “Hm? No?”

“N-No...NO!” Shido screamed. “I won't do this! I won’t hurt anyone! Just let us out! Please, I’m begging you! Anything but killing!”

“Cracking so easily under pressure...what are you, the Ultimate Glass Figurine?!” Monokuma snarled. “How many times do I have to tell you all?! Your stay here in Monolith Valley is permanent, if you’re chicken enough to not kill! There’s no escape otherwise, no matter how much you plead!”

Hiroko was seemingly unfazed by everything. “Your masculinity is even more fragile than I thought. You really are pathetic as a man...”

“B-Big brotheeeeer!!” Yuji was sobbing even harder than Shido was. “This...This is too much for me!”

“Okay, that’s IT!” Yukio suddenly yelled that made everyone go quiet. “Get the fuck out of my way!”

All of a sudden, Yukio shoved himself to the front of the group, fists ready. Shido could tell what he was doing a mile away. He was going to throw down with Monokuma.

“One more chance!” Yukio declared. “Let us out, or answer with my fist to your face!”

“Oh?” Monokuma seemed quite interested by the threat. “Are you really going to do that, Yukio?”

“Sure as hell I am, if you don’t let us go and stop making our classmates cry!”

Monokuma seemed to smile. “Puhuhuhu...Put that to the test!”

Immediately, Yukio lunged forward. Before anyone could stop him, he had grabbed Monokuma. In the next moment, he was holding him up in the air. Monokuma could only flail his arms and legs uselessly, too tiny to really do anything.

“Put me down this instant, or you will suffer the consequences!” Monokuma warned.

“Shut up!” Yukio replied. “I’m going to rip you apart for keeping us locked here! Then, if the counselors are in on this, I’m going to make one of them get us back to Hope’s Peak!”

“I’m warning you! Violence against the headmaster is forbidden!”

“Shut up, or I’ll put my fist in your mouth!”

Monokuma indeed went quiet. Everyone stayed as silent, hoping to hear anything else come out from either of them.

Beep...beep...beep...

“Gone quiet now, huh?” Yukio panted, shaking a bit himself.

Beep beep beep beep beep

“Wait, are you beeping like a...?” Yukio squinted a bit, as if trying to comprehend the possibility.

BEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEP

“Throw ‘im!” The Yakuza suddenly yelled, finally breaking the quiet of the counselors.

Yukio was stunned at first. “What?!”

“Throw the fuckin’ bear!” He repeated, this time with much more force. “Into the air! Do it! Now!”

Pressured by the counselor’s words, he did it. Yukio cocked back his arms and threw Monokuma with all of his force into the air above the other students, as if launching a grenade.

And like a grenade, he detonated. A huge, firey explosion made everybody duck, screaming. A few even covered their ears from the sudden loud noise. Ashes, bits of metal and gunpowder rained down. Shido felt something hit his cheek and slice it open.

As everyone slowly got up, Daiki covered his mouth and nose with his sweater. “Is everyone alright?” He yelled through the fabric.

The Princess seemed as concerned. “Are you all unharmed? Do any of you need medical attention?”

“J-Just some cuts and bruises from the pieces falling down...” Indeed, Kohaku had a similar cut to Shido’s on her cheek. “Not anything too serious.”

Yukio, however, was shaking even more now. His eyes were so wide, they nearly engulfed the upper half of his face. His jaw was slack.

“He...” Yukio stammered. “That dude...exploded! He...He tried to kill me!”

“Monokuma had a bomb in him...” Kyou muttered. “I don’t know whether to be shocked at the show of force, or impressed by the ingenuity of that bear.”

“Shocked!” Yuji declared. “Definitely shocked! He tried to blow up my big brother!”

Takehiko rubbed his head. “Look on the bright side,” he noted. “That bastard blew himself up. Which means we don’t have to deal with him anymore.”

Takehiko was quickly proven wrong by a voice declaring, “You know, calling your headmaster a ‘bastard’ does warrant a punishment in some parts!” Monokuma suddenly leapt out from behind the table, good as new.

Kohaku screamed. “A-Another one?!”

Yukio was either seething with rage or just shocked. “You...You just tried to kill me, and possibly others!”

“Of course I did! I did warn you that you would be punished for your rash behavior, after all! And remember, next time may not be so avoidable...” Monokuma sighed. “I am a bit upset that you interfered, Yakuza.”

The Yakuza looked to the side, arms crossed. “It’s just as Yukio said. A lot of the other students would’ve been caught in the crossfire. As counselor, I wanted ta ensure the safety of the innocents, ya hear? Do think before you act next time, headmaster.”

Was that a disguised insult? Shido could tell that the Yakuza was smiling underneath the mask on his mouth. Monokuma seemed to be agitated, but either ignored it or let it slide.

“Y-You are...insane!” Yukio yelled. “Ludicrous! Crazy! Whatever’s in the dictionary!”

“Call me whatever you want! It doesn’t change that you’re now in my game of mutual killing! All of you will now have to either adjust to living out your lives here...or murder to escape this despair! Oh, just the idea gets my blood running faster than Usain Bolt!” Monokuma grinned again. “Oh, by the way...the school rules have finally been completed. You would do well to investigate them, for breaking even one is forbidden! And if you do break one, you would be glad to know that the punishment is the same for any rule whatsoever! No differences!”

“So regardless of which rule it is, we would be injured or worse?” Yoshie questioned. “I do not see how that is comforting...”

“Well, that does it! The welcome party slash ceremony is drawing to a close!” Monokuma looked to the counselors. “Any parting words for our darling students?”

The counselors were actually unfazed, as if this was all a game. “Bye for now, kids!” The Mechanic called.

“Farewell for now!” The Athlete agreed.

The Princess smiled. “Stick to the rules, and play the game fairly.”

“We’ll see who is the victor,” Hope agreed.

The Yakuza remained quiet for a moment. Then, he looked at Akihiko. “You.”

Akihiko was surprised. “Eh? Me?”

“...Stick with yer friends, alright? It’ll mean a lot in the long run.”

The Yakuza...confused Shido. Why did he keep picking out Akihiko in the crowd? What was the purpose of it? And why did he seem genuinely against Monokuma? Something seemed to tell Shido that the Yakuza was the only counselor that they could truly trust.

“And that begins our mutual killing game!” Monokuma cheered. “Sayonara, you bastards!”

Monokuma suddenly vanished. It was like Shido blinked, and he was gone. The counselors vanished in the exact same way, leaving the sixteen students to stand there in fear.

“...Well, then...” Kyou muttered. “How do we all feel about that?”

“How do we feel?” Takehiko questioned. “How do we feel?! What kind of shit question is that?!”

Haruki sniffled. “T-To kill each other...”

“This is bullshit!” Yukio yelled. “I’ll attack him again, but...” he paused. “He’ll probably kill me.”

“Eh? Probably? More like...definitely,” Yuuki remarked. “He was willing to blow us all up, so there’s no telling where his morals lie, if he even has them.”

Kohaku huffed. “Man, that was stressful! But it’s sort of over. Yes, we may be stuck in this valley, but...We’re practically adults. We won’t do this killing game shiz! We won’t fall for it!”

Hiroko merely looked around. “How do we know that for sure? All we know is our own thoughts. What’s to say that others are already planning their escape?”

For a moment, Shido tried to shrug it off. She was obviously just trying to turn everyone against each other. By how rude she was, she was most likely to be planning a murder to save her own skin.

But then he saw everybody else’s expressions. Various degrees of paranoia flashed on their faces. They looked at each other, as if suspecting at least somebody to pull out a knife at any given moment. The air was thick with tension, and Shido could probably feel it if he reached out.

That’s when he realized. This was no joke. This was not any benevolent action hidden by black comedy. This was real life. This was actually happening.

People in this very room, looking around at each other...some, if not all, will die. This school was not meant to be a school, but rather...a twisted purgatory for the innocent and young. The wraiths of paranoia and doubt have already wormed into the sixteen students. They could be turned against each other on a dime, at this rate.

Yes, this was not hope of any form of fashion. This was despair in its truest form. Fiction versus reality. Truth versus lies.

Trust versus betrayal.

**REMAINING STUDENTS:**

Shido Norihisa

Takehiko Juzaburo

Kohaku Hikozaemon

Yuuki Shunsho

Yukio Izo

Yuji Izo

Asuka Akira

Daiki Sorai

Yoshie Kazushi

Keiko Kanon

Hiroko Nariakira

Akihiko Kenjiro

Haruki Ryobe

Akio Bussho

Kyou Shun

Tamotsu Sugita

**16 STUDENTS REMAINING**


	4. Chapter 1-1: The Sacred Life and the Pilfered Dark

**** ‘You must kill someone if you wish to leave.’ That is what the sixteen students were told by Monokuma, and agreed upon by the counselors. And just like that, their entire world just destroyed, and rebuilt on two basic words of trust and betrayal.

It was becoming hard to breathe. Everybody’s nervous looks began to crush down on Shido. His legs were shaking, and he felt ready to vomit. He was extremely close to fainting on the ground.

He had to get out. He had to get fresh air, before he became the first victim out of suffocation.

Takehiko turned as Shido raced for the door. “Whoa! Shido?!”

He didn’t answer. Yanking the door open, he began sprinting down the hall. Anything to get out of this hellhole. He couldn’t take just standing there, letting everyone stare at him.

Thankfully, nobody followed him outside. They got the message that he wanted to be alone for the time being. Chasing after him would just frighten him more.

Outside, he immediately noticed something. The bus had vanished from where it had been parked. There were only slight tire marks on the gravel road cutting into Monolith Valley from the main highway.

“No...” Shido whimpered. “The bus...wh-where’s the bus?!”

Another powerful instinct came over him. Shido began to leg it down the road. He didn’t care how far he had to run in that moment. He just wanted to get out of Monolith Valley, or die trying. He didn’t want to kill or be killed. He wanted to die on his own accord.

“Wait, no! STOP!”

Immediately, Shido braked. His boots gave out under him, and he fell right onto the road. His head connected with the floor, and it flared up in pain. Groaning, he sat up, placing a hand on the back of his head. He could feel rocks having dug into the skin a little bit, and dirt clustering into his hair.

Just a few feet in front of him, instead of freedom, there were black bars stretching up into the sky. They had to be at least twenty feet high. There were no footholds for him to climb up it, and the bars left little to no space in between them, so wiggling through was a lost cause, as well. When were these suddenly built? How did the bus get through them without any of the students knowing?

For a moment, Shido looked around. He couldn’t see any possible being who had yelled at him. Nobody was by his side, or even behind him.

Then he saw them. On the other side of the gate that cut through a huge mass of trees, a figure stepped out of the woods to stand on the road. They stared at Shido with obvious worry on their expression.

“Are you alright?” They called. Shido was able to identify their boyish features and masculine voice to assume their gender.

Shido sat up. “Who...Who are you?”

“Ah, I’m very sorry for being rude,” the boy apologized. “I just needed to stop you from running into the gate. The bars are electrified.”

The bars...electrified? Indeed, upon inspection, he noticed the sign on the side warning that any contact with the gate would lead to electrocution. And he was about to crash right into them, too. If it wasn’t for this mysterious person’s timely yell...

“Th-Thank you for warning me,” Shido said, slowly standing up. “But that...doesn’t answer my question.”

“Ah, sorry again. I’ve misplaced my manners, it seems. My name is Nagito Weil. It’s nice meeting you.”

Shido smiled. “Shido Norihisa. Though...your last name...”

“I understand it’s not of Japanese ethnicity,” Nagito replied. “I was adopted recently. My real last name isn’t a part of me anymore.”

With a start, the Ultimate Dancer realized something. “Ah! You’re on the other side!”

“I am,” Nagito stated, as if that was clear as day. “Is there something that bugs you?”

“N-No...It’s perfect! N-Nagito, I need you to go down the road and get help!”

“Help?” Nagito frowned. “From who?”

“I-I don’t care who! Flag down a passerby car, and tell them that a group of Hope’s Peak students have been trapped in Monolith Valley!”

Nagito actually looked upset, as if he was as helpless as Shido. “I’m...sorry, but...this area is desolate for miles on end. No other person comes down here, and cellular towers don’t reach here. I wouldn’t be able to get any kind of help before I would pass out and die from energy depletion. And that would be counting if the wild animals in the area at night wouldn’t get me first.”

Shido paused. “Then...is help really not coming?”

“May you please explain to me your situation? I’m afraid I’m not that informed on this program.”

Shido took a moment, as if trying to recollect himself. His frame shook, and the memories came welling. In an instant, instead of speaking, he began to sob into his palms, falling back down onto his knees.

Nagito looked surprised. “Sh-Shido! Is it...really that bad?”

“Horrible! Me...a-and all of my classmates...h-have been kidnapped...and pitted to death against each other! I-If you can’t get us help...we’re going to turn on each other...a-and kill each other! I-I can’t bear the thought...of...of...either killing a friend...o-or being killed!”

Nagito had gone pale. His entire face was panic-stricken. He wasn’t shaking as bad as Shido, but some tremors were still visible in his limbs.

“Everyone?” He said softly. “You mean...everyone?”

“Y...Yes.” Shido nodded.

“My...my siblings are in Monolith Valley,” Nagito suddenly revealed. “All of them except my slightly-older brother.”

Shido gasped. “Wh...What? Who?”

Nagito was about to speak, then paused. It was as if he was considering to reveal their identities or not.

“Actually, they may have gotten out in time,” Nagito murmured in thought. “They’re all very tough, so I don’t want to just say that they’re in immediate danger. And Father wouldn’t allow them to be hurt on his watch, so...yea, I don’t need to worry.”

“Then you’re implying...Monolith Valley wasn’t always like this.”

“I...I’m not in a position to say. I never came here before, though she told me to stay over here until everything calms down...”

“She?” Shido asked. “Who is she?”

“A...family friend of ours. My father has been busy with some of his work, so he asked a good colleague of his to watch over us. She’s quite nice.”

Shido frowned. “Then...why are you not with her?”

“Um...That’s a bit of a tricky question to answer,” Nagito admitted. “I’m in a stable contact with her, but...she’s doing important work, and wanted me to stay away from it, so she placed me away from immediate danger. Honestly, she wouldn’t believe if Hope’s Peak locked up a class of students in a killing game. She would think I was lying. Wouldn't you if you were told that at face value?” Nagito gestured at the gates. “And I can’t gather evidence myself, due to being on the other side of this fence.”

“A-Are you saying it covers the entire valley?”

Nagito sighed. “From front to back. I can’t get in, and nobody can get out.”

“Wait...where do you live?” Shido questioned.

“For now?” Nagito admitted. “In a small shack just up the road, until I get picked up by my family. I’m sure I’ll be picked up soon, if my siblings were!”

Shido gulped. “In a shack, all by yourself...isn’t that lonely?”

“Well now I have you,” Nagito said. “I can talk to you whenever our schedule allows it.” He smiled. “And don’t worry. The shack is quite furnished and homely. I don’t need to worry about food or water, either, so that’s a plus.”

“You must be a very good forager, then...” Shido realized.

Nagito shrugged. “Well, I wouldn’t say that.” He smiled, somehow finding the bright spots in all of this. “I’m just a talentless boy with a lucky streak.”

Shido wished that he could just keep talking to Nagito. Having such a normal conversation about different aspects of their lives...it drained all of his worries away.

But the anxiety came back with a gnawing ache. He had to end the conversation at some point and return, otherwise he would alert the suspicion of his classmates, or even worse, Monokuma. And then Nagito could be caught up in this hell of a summer school in order to ensure no witnesses.

Nagito noticed the stress on Shido’s expression. “Hey...You’re really not looking too good.”

Shido gulped. “Y-Yea, I...I’m just overwhelmed. T-To leave my home...and come to something like this...”

Immediately, Nagito raised his hands in a stop motion. “How about you just talk about your problems nice and slow. I can only help if you communicate to me.”

What was there to talk about? This game was twisted, in both function and purpose. There was nothing absolute in something like this, right?

_ Monokuma: Oh, by the way...the school rules have finally been completed. You would do well to investigate them, for breaking even one is forbidden! _

“The rules!” Shido panicked. “I-I haven’t read the rules of the killing game yet!”

Nagito immediately jumped on that in an effort to calm Shido down. “Then let’s both take a deep breath and overview them together. Maybe we can make some sense out of them, yea?”

Shido took a deep breath, as instructed. “O...Okay. Yea. Let’s see them.”

Both of them sat down in front of the gate, though far enough to not risk electrocution. Nagito had to lean a bit to see the Monobook on the other side as Shido pulled it out and laid it gently onto the gravel road.

Turning it on, Shido looked at the tabs to the side of the display. Indeed, the previously grayed-out tab labelled “Rules” was a bright blue, accessible to all. He gulped, then pressed his finger to the tab to view the rules.

**Rule #1:** All students are required to live out their lives in the Monolith Valley Summer School grounds for the foreseeable future. Attempts of leaving this designated grounds will be punished.

**Rule #2:** When a murder is committed in the academy, a class trial will be conducted. Participation in this trial is mandatory for all surviving students.

**Rule #3: ** If the killer (here in after referred to as “the blackened”) is correctly identified during the class trial, only the blackened will be punished for their crime, and the innocent students (here in referred to as “the spotless” will continue to live within the summer school.

**Rule #4:** If the blackened cannot be identified, or if a spotless is identified as the blackened, all students except the blackened will be punished for the crime, and the blackened will graduate from summer school and re-enter the outside world.

**Rule #5: ** “Nighttime” is officially designated as the hours between 10:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. During this time, the dining hall and main hall are closed.

**Rule #6: ** All acts of violence toward Monokuma, the headmaster of the summer school, are strictly prohibited. The counselors may only be injured or killed if it is involved in an act of murder.

**Rule #7: ** Monokuma will never directly participate in a murder. The counselors can potentially be the blackened or victim.

**Rule #8: ** A body discovery announcement will occur when three or more students discover a body.

**Rule #9:** If two different students are murdered by two different people, the first murderer will be deemed the blackened.

**Rule #10:** No more than two students can be murdered at a time. Trying to murder three or more is not allowed, and can lead to the blackened being punished.

**Rule #11: ** Students have free rein to explore the summer school as they see fit.

**Rule #12: ** Students are only allowed to sleep in the dormitory area currently. Sleeping anywhere else can be deemed punishable.

**Rule #13: ** The headmaster may add additional regulations to this list at any time.

Just like rules for a regular school...and all of this talk about a class trial. It hurt Shido’s head just thinking about it, and the throbbing was not from the near-concussion.

“These class trials...” Nagito hummed.

Shido looked up. “What about them?”

“Nothing, except...they seem to be a familiar concept for me. I just can’t figure out why...but I’m more focused on the sixth and seventh rules. Talking about these so-called ‘counselors’.”

Shido reviewed those two rules again. They clarified that the counselors were basically on the same standing as students when it came to the killing game’s decisions of blackened, victim, or innocent, but still had semi-administrative powers, operating under Monokuma. Nagito was right. They were an interesting factor in all of this.

“The counselors are...operatives under Monokuma,” Shido said. “He’s basically saying...th-that they can be killed in the killing game as well.” He shuddered. “I don’t want to call it a game...”

“So they can control the game at the level of an admin, but can still die like any player?” Nagito clarified.

“Y...Yes, that seems to be the case,” Shido answered. “But I have to ask...why?”

“That’s why it’s so interesting to me. To work for a person who allows you to die...who are these counselors? But more importantly, what is the goal of this headmaster?”

Shido frowned. “Nagito, you...I think I may need you to do some research with what you can.”

“I’m already thinking,” Nagito reassured him. “I’m trying to come up with something, but my mind is strangely drawing a blank...” He did look very worried. “Though I’m afraid both of us staying here for too long will attract attention.”

“Y-Yea, I’ve been worrying about that a bit,” Shido admitted. “I think it’s time we go our separate paths for now.”

Nagito tried to give a reassuring smile. “I’ll try and help out however I can, Shido. You have my word.” He seemed to get an idea. “Ah! How about we make this a regular thing? You see the “nighttime” rule?”

“Um...Yea?” Shido nodded.

“Obviously, nobody would have a reason to go out at night. So, we can meet up at this spot every night to discuss with each other, with minimal interruptions.”

Shido gulped. “T-To go out alone...at night...”

Nagito looked a bit worried himself. “While it is a scary thought, I’m pretty sure you have no dangerous animals in the woods on your side. And...I’m sure I’ll be fine on mine! I’m very lucky, after all.”

“Um...O-Okay, then. This will be a regular occurrence!” Shido nodded. “I-I’m sure if we think together...We’ll get out of here! All of us! A-And nobody will get hurt!”

Nagito smiled. It was soft and genuine, like an innocent child’s. For a few moments, he looked younger than he was perceived. It made Shido wonder how young he really was.

“Then it’s a promise. Right, Shido?”

Shido couldn’t help but smile back. “Yes...a promise!”

A promise between the two of them...why did such a thing feel so surreal and sweet? Just this tiny amount of words has done wonders to Shido’s mood...if this is what having friends was like, he never wanted to be alone again!


	5. Chapter 1-2: The Sacred Light and the Pilfered Dark

It took Shido a bit, but he finally willed himself to return to the summer school. If he lingered on the road any longer, no doubt that he would be sought out by Monokuma, risking Nagito’s exposure to the person controlling the bear. And he couldn’t live with himself if he was dragged into this mess.

Stepping back into the summer school, he immediately noticed Takehiko and Kohaku in the main entrance. They were standing near the door to the first floor, but watching the entrance. Were they waiting for him?

“Shido!” Takehiko’s voice showed clear joy. “You’re alright!”

“We all were worried when you ran off, but we knew you just wanted some time to take a breather,” Kohaku added. “Chasing after you probably wasn’t the best idea.”

“Y-You both...waited for me?” Shido was surprised at the two.

“Of course!” Kohaku grinned. “We gotta stick together in this situation! No turning on or leaving behind any other student!”

“That means we gotta be there for you when you need it,” Takehiko added. “No matter what.”

Shido gulped. “Wh-While I appreciate the comfort...shouldn't you be with everyone else?”

“Eh.” Kohaku shrugged aimlessly. “Everyone scattered to do their own thing after you ran off. All of us were told by Kyou to meet back up at about...nine, I wanna say? Last time I checked, you left at seven.”

Seven? While Shido noticed the sun was setting outside, he had no idea it was that late. Perhaps Monolith Valley was where the sun set at a later time than he was used to.

“Well...what time is it currently?” Shido stammered.

Kohaku hummed. “Hm...I lost track. Takehiko?”

“Got me beat,” he answered. “I’ve forgotten just like you.”

“Um...” Shido noticed a clock on the wall. After squinting for a moment, another chill went down his spine. “A-Ah! It’s five minutes after nine!”

Even though it was only five minutes, Takehiko seemed to freak out. “Shit! Kyou’s gonna have our asses!”

Kohaku only laughed. “It’s only five minutes, you know! I’m sure we’ll be fine!”

“St-Still, that means we should hurry to...wherever the meeting spot is,” Shido stammered.

“It’s the dining hall,” Kohaku quickly clarified. “A lot of people are already gathered, so we just have to catch up with them!”

First running off, and now he was late? What a horrible impression he’s made on everyone else. He was so stupid and emotional. How could he possibly think about himself and his own needs when there’s so many others that would hold it against him?

Inside of the dining hall, Shido was dismayed to see mostly everyone already there. They were all waiting for the last to arrive, staring at the door. He immediately found himself shivering at the unwanted, judgemental attention.

“About time!” Yuji groaned dramatically. “You guys arrive to complete the group!”

Hiroko huffed. “Did you have to run around like headless chickens to find our little peacock? He should apologize on his behalf.”

“He doesn’t have to apologize for anything!” Takehiko declared. “He just got overwhelmed, that’s all.”

Kyou cleared his throat. “Well, if that is everyone...I would scold you on your tardiness, but we have more important matters!”

“Right!” Akihiko exclaimed. “We gotta say what we figured out.” He immediately looked at Shido. “Did you figure out anything outside?”

“O-Oh. Well, um...About...I want to say half a mile down the road, there’s...this sudden fence. I found that it was r-really tall, and...it was electrified, so climbing it is out of the question, a-at least until we shut off the electricity charging it.”

“A...fence?” Tamotsu looked surprised. “And so close to us? I didn’t see that when we were coming in.”

“I-I know! That’s why I nearly ran into it when I was trying to run down the road to, um...try and get out. I-I didn’t expect it to be on the road. E-Even weirder, there’s no opening in it where the bus could have gone through. It’s just...suddenly there.”

“So a fence has suddenly appeared...” Akio frowned. “This imprisonment seems to get stranger and stranger.”

Shido looked. “W-Well...What of everyone else? What did you all find?”

Takehiko shrugged. “Kohaku and I were together for the time being, waiting for you. We didn’t really explore anything.”

Hiroko sighed. “Unfortunately, that would be the same for Haruki, Akio and I. We decided to stay in the dining hall. I refused to get my hands dirty searching for pointless facts.”

Akio scratched the back of his neck. “I found that since the summer school barely has anything to explore, I would really only tag along as collateral.”

“Same here,” Haruki said. “Besides, nobody really invited me along in their groups, so I didn’t want to bother anybody.”

“Well, Yuuki, Yuji and I became the Three Yu’s!” Yukio proclaimed, confusing a few. “We searched outside, and noticed some peculiar stuff!”

“For one, the bus is gone!” Yuji exclaimed. “Gone with the wind! No trace of it except tire marks! Which is really weird, considering the fence Shido mentioned. Where did it go if it couldn’t leave by the road?”

Yuuki pondered for a moment. “Eh...What did I find again?” His face lit up. “Oh, Yea! We also found a blocked-off road! The sign on the road said...campgrounds.”

Kohaku grinned. “Oh, sweet! Campgrounds in a summer school? How mystic!”

“Eh, again, the road was blocked off! We can’t go down it.”

Yoshie smiled. “Asuka and I explored the dormitory area. The dorms there are all labelled for each of us by nameplate. And the locks on them seem to be unlocked by our Monobooks. And not only did we find an exact amount of dorms for all of us sixteen students...there were other rooms. Five exactly.”

Takehiko seemed confused. “Five spares? That’s...the amount of counselors we have...”

Asuka responded, “There were no nameplate, or anything identifying. And they all are locked, as well, so we cannot investigate inside. They must be the counselor dorms.” He then frowned. “However, we discovered another peculiar fact. All of the rooms are completely soundproof.”

“We tested this out by screaming for a few minutes,” Yoshie added. “And as you all know, nobody came to the calls. So if a murder indeed happens, if you’re in the dorm room...”

“Nobody will know...” Keiko whimpered. “How dastardly for the building construction workers...!”

“So there’s livin’ spaces for everyone? Our kidnappers want us to stay here?!” Yukio gritted his teeth. “I’m goin’ to knock their teeth out!”

Yuji panicked. “C-Calm down, big brother! I don’t want you to blow up!”

Keiko frowned. “Daiki, Kyou and I went to check out the bars on the staircase to the second floor, but...Even with Daiki’s strength...”

“It wouldn’t budge,” Daiki commented sadly. “Those iron bars are fastened to the walls tight.”

Kyou frowned. “Though I must admit, that show of strength has got me worried. How well-guarded are these blockades that a man with such rippling muscles and heated passion could not make a dent?”

Daiki blushed. “R-Rippling...muscles?”

Tamotsu crossed his arms. “I immediately scoured the area for any clues on the identity of the mastermind behind our containment. However, nothing resulted from my searches. If this continues, I may have no choice but to...” He looked stressed. “No. I cannot conclude something like that with no solid lead. The mastermind must make a mistake, or...”

“What’s got you worried?” Yukio questioned in a concerned manner.

“Just thinking about my last resort of suspects,” Tamotsu replied.

“I guess that I am the last to talk.” Akihiko spoke up. “I may have the most crucial information.”

“Oh?” Tamotsu opened one of his closed eyes. “What is it?”

Akihiko withdrew a paper from his pocket, folded up neatly. He began to unfold it with careful hands, and smoothed the paper out on the table.

“Take a look at what I found in one of the classrooms,” he said, gesturing to the paper.

Shido leaned to look. It seemed to be a map...no, a layout of the first floor of the summer school. However, in black marker, multiple notes were scattered, and edits to the layout were scribbled on.

“Is this...the first floor layout?” Takehiko wondered. “Why does it have all these notes?”

“They’re all talking about edits to the initial floor plan,” Akihiko said. “I think that the summer school was retooled. Probably to fit the plans of our kidnappers.”

Daiki was immediately suspicious. “And you’re sure you found this in a...classroom, of all places?”

“I know it sounds odd,” Akihiko replied, “but I can tell you one thing. This was left on purpose for us to find.”

Akio frowned. “That makes more sense than just finding it, but...then who left it? And why?”

“I already have a suspect on who,” Akihiko answered. “I just can’t understand the why, or the rest of his actions.”

Unable to understand them...Shido already had a good idea on who Akihiko was talking about. That person also confused him a lot on where their morals actually stood.

“Well, I guess that would be everyone,” Kohaku said. “Is there any questions?”

“A big one,” Hiroko suddenly said. “Peacock said there was a fence now, right? How exactly will necessities be shipped to the summer school?”

Degrading nickname aside, Hiroko had a point. There was no factories or any sort of garden so far in the summer school. And with that fence, no chance of shipments could come in. Such a factor worried Shido now...

Akihiko laughed. “No need for that!” He declared. “I checked out the kitchen. That place is stocked full of food, and apparently replenishes every day. I don’t know how it happens, but that’s what the note on the fridge said.”

“A note?” Haruki questioned.

Akihiko began to recite it. “‘To all students worrying for food and other supplies, never fear! This fridge is here, and a storage room is in the back of the kitchen for other supplies. Both of them restock every day, so feast to your heart’s content! But keep in mind that poison may have found its way into your meals.’”

Takehiko scowled. “What a chilling way to end that note...I guess Monokuma really is all about murder.”

Yuji whimpered. “We could be killed at any moment...by him, the counselors, or each other! This is not what I signed up for! I just wanted instant graduation, man!”

Asuka sighed. “Are you really so focused on the negatives here, blinding yourself to what must be done?”

Shido gulped. “Wh-What must...be done?”

Asuka crossed his arms. “Logically, two actions can be taken here. One is to kill to escape this school.”

“Nope, nope, noooope!” Keiko declared. “Out of the question! What’s the second route in this?”

Asuka glared at the Ultimate Party Planner. “To adapt,” he merely said.

“Eh? Adapt?” Yuuki questioned, like he always did.

Hiroko seemed surprised. “Oh! I see what you mean, Asuka.” She smiled at everybody else. “Adapting to this environment is the only surefire way to survive. If none of us adapt, we will become stir-crazy, and turn against each other.”

“So you’re saying we accept this?” Yukio asked. “You’re crazy!”

Hiroko smiled. “Well, isn’t that a way to confirm you will not survive even a single night here. You must adapt, whether the change be temporary or permanent.”

“Temporary...” Yukio nodded. “Yea...Yea, this won’t last long! Before long, the cops will be here!”

Kohaku beamed. “Right! Sixteen Ultimates kidnapped? We probably have the world in a frenzy looking for us! And it won’t take long, since they know where we are!”

Akio, however, was unconvinced. “However, we still are expected to disconnect with the world entirely for the entire summer. And Hope’s Peak could be manipulated by the mastermind to believe nothing horrible is happening.”

Shido questioned, “A-Are you saying rescue isn’t coming?”

Akio’s expression softened at Shido’s distress. “I won’t say that. I’m only saying that it may be more than a couple of weeks before people realize that this summer school program has taken a turn for the worst.”

“Then if we are to stay here for a month at least, I will take my leave.” Hiroko smiled.

“Wait, huh?” Haruki asked. “Where are you going?”

“It is almost nighttime,” Hiroko answered. “I want to take a shower before bed, just in case the water shuts off at night. Goodbye.” She immediately left everybody in the dust, walking out of the dining hall.

“How rude,” Akihiko muttered. “Walking out like that without a care in the world...”

“What now, Kyou?” Yoshie questioned.

“Well, I guess since it is starting to turn to nighttime...” Kyou nodded. “Right! This meeting is adjourned, everyone! I hope you all can get a good night’s rest!”

That was really anyone could say, at this point. There was no way to escape the place except just wait for help. And that help won’t come for at least another month, a couple of weeks if they were lucky...that implication had its own hints of despair to it.

One by one, the students dispersed from the dining hall. Shido was left standing there, watching all of them leave the area to go to their dorms.

He had no idea however long he waited there. A part of him wanted to stay a little bit longer. Sleeping in this summer school...it didn’t sound ideal at all. He would rather be home, under his covers in the Norihisa household than this.

Shido paused, then reconsidered. He had possible friends here. No, not friends. People that made japes about him behind his back. He’s learned the cruelty of others when you don’t conform to the gender norms. He at least expected the insults back home, whether here, there was the possible notion of betrayal. Yes, the Norihisa household was preferable.

Before long, there was a ringing sound throughout the school. It startled Shido straight out of his thoughts, and dragged his attention to the TV screen in the corner, which was now turning on with a hum.

_ “Ahem...This is a school announcement! It is now 10 PM, which means the rule of nighttime is in full affect. The dining hall will close in short time, and entering it is forbidden. Well, then! Goodnight! Have beary good dreams...” _

The nighttime rule...Shido almost completely forgot about it. He shouldn’t stay in the dining hall, then. But at the same time, he wasn’t exactly focused about going to sleep just yet. He wasn’t tired, the adrenaline from his entire world shifting gears keeping him going for at least a few more hours.

Right! Shido was supposed to meet with Nagito every night, now. This was the time they arranged. Even though they meet earlier today, maybe they can talk about something else?

Nagito really was a mystery to Shido, and yet...He felt a bond already between them. Perhaps Nagito was one of the more trustworthy people here, due to having no involvement with the killing game. He was just a kid living nearby until his family picked him up...right?

Despite his trustworthiness, Shido had a feeling Nagito was hiding something from him. His true involvement with the school and Monolith Valley. Regardless, it couldn’t be just a coincidence a family friend left him nearby in a hut...Does not even Nagito know the truth?

** _Weil Theater_ **

_ “So, this truly will become a nightly thing, you and I? I actually wasn’t expecting you to come tonight, but I am happy you have arrived. I’ve been lonely in my little shack for far too long. So, a killing game, right? With no way out? I truly wish I can help you, but as I have spoken, I have no power in this place. But rest assured! The higher-ups of your community can hear of this, and will fix everything that has gone wrong! You just have to have faith in them, and the hope to carry it through to the end! To will through this despair with hope...That will be the ultimate victory against the mastermind!” _


	6. Chapter 1-3: The Scared Light and the Pilfered Dark

_ Ding dong, ding dong... _

_ “Attention, everybody! It is now eight AM, which means it’s time to get up and embrace the morning! I hope you all have a spectacular day here in Monolith Valley Summer School! Oh, and by the by...Please rendezvous in the main hall at your closest convenience! We must have a super important talk, headmaster to students!” _

You have to get up at eight AM? Shido sighed, under the safety of his bed covers. He never got up until after ten, at least. Getting up at eight just felt like a chore. But with Monokuma controlling the entire facility and demanding all students to return to the main hall, did he have a choice in the matter?

Slowly, Shido got up from his bed. He didn’t even pull the covers up on him last night, or even pull off his clothing. He planned to take a morning shower, but it seemed that he wasn’t going to be allowed that. At least he had wiped off his makeup, so he can apply it better this morning.

Just as he was finishing up the wings on his eyeliner, however, there came a knock on his door. It nearly startled him into dropping his handheld mirror he clutched in his palm. His head immediately shot up to stare at the door. Who was there?

Shido walked over to the door, setting down his makeup. Placing his hand on the doorknob, he opened the door to see both Kohaku and Takehiko standing there.

“H-Huh?” He seemed surprised. “You two...”

“No duh!” Kohaku exclaimed. “We just wanted to walk over to the main hall with our bestie!”

“Huh?” Shido looked baffled. “Bestie?”

Takehiko smiled. “Yea. That’s you.”

A bestie? Shido has never been called that before. Why would somebody seek out to be his friend? The only logical conclusion was that they were trying to get his trust to betray him later on. He made a reminder to himself to not trust either of these two.

“Come on!” Kohaku took his hand. “Can you not just stand around?”

Fighting his urge to rub his eye from sleepiness, Shido let himself be pulled along. “I-I’m sorry...” He apologized. “I’m just tired.”

“Aren’t we all?” Takehiko responded.

“O-Oh, then it isn’t an excuse...I’m sorry.”

Kohaku groaned. “Stop apologizing, man! You have nada things to apologize for!”

“I’m-” Shido paused immediately, going quiet. He noticed Takehiko staring at him weirdly. “I-I was...about to apologize for apologizing so much.”

Takehiko laughed gently at that, trying to reassure Shido. “How about you hold off on the apologies? We don’t need them.”

Shido gulped. “Y...Yes. Got it.”

Shido resigned himself to stay quiet the entire walk, his head bowed slightly. He decided to let Kohaku and Takehiko have their conversations. Butting in would be rude, and he didn’t have anything to say, anyways.

“Hey, Shido!” Kohaku exclaimed, startling the dancer.

“Waaagh! U-Uh, yes?”

“How did you get your Ultimate talent?”

“U-Um...It’s really embarrassing...” Shido muttered, bowing his head. “I just won a silly contest...”

“It ain’t silly if it got you the title of...oh, I don’t know...a fucking Ultimate?” Takehiko pointed out. “But if you’re really shy about it, I won’t press further.”

“W-Well, if you are so interested...” Shido cleared his throat. “I, uh...Went behind my parents’ backs to join a dance competition downtown. I-I was pressured into doing it by my...f-friends.”

Kohaku was surprised. “I thought you never had friends before! Well, whew! I’m happy that I was wrong!”

“Th-They later on bullied and spread my trusted secrets to them throughout middle school,” Shido continued. “Th-They taught me that scum like me could never have friends.”

Takehiko paused. “W...Well, then.”

“D-Don’t look at me like that. You...wanted to hear my story. I just wanted to clear up to Kohaku th-that I never truly had any friends. Well, there was this one time, but...no, that isn’t related to this.” Shido went quiet, and when neither of them said anything, he pressed on. “A-Anyways, I was really small, so...a lot of people doubted I would win the contest. But...I was able to watch other contestants...a-and learn how to do their moves in my own fluid fashion. B-Before long, I was the winner, flooring practically everybody. I won both the prize money, and the trophy. I guess I also won the title of Ultimate Dancer, b-because the invitation cited the competition as their reason for seeking me out.”

Kohaku smiled. “That’s so cool! You adapted their dances into your own routine?”

“I-It was horrible to do...I-I stole their routine...That’s why my parents were so disappointed in me...I-I was practically a criminal.”

Takehiko looked horrified. “H-Hey, don’t say that, man! You won with no cheating involved!”

Shido laughed a bit. “I-I had to have cheated...there’s no way somebody as worthless as me won fairly...” Hurrying to change the subject, he looked at Kohaku. “Well...How about you? How did you gain your talent?”

“Well, um...That’s easy! I am the daughter of a deity that is worshipped on a far-off island, capable of manipulating reality to my will!” She paused when neither of the boys said anything. “Ah ha, nope! It’s a lie!”

“Of course...” Takehiko sighed.

By now, they’ve entered the main hall. A few other people were there, though it wasn’t everyone. Like Shido, a lot of people were probably trying to just force themselves out of bed.

Haruki smiled at them. “Good morning!” He called to the three entering.

Yoshie smiled as well. “Well, it’s as good of a morning as we can make it,” he reminded Haruki. “Things are not set in stone, but we can make them so by the simplest of actions.”

Akihiko shrugged. “Anyways, Monokuma isn’t here yet, but there is that table of refreshments.”

Shido looked over. There was a line of cups, all with labels. The labels decreed a student’s name, and the cup was filled to the brim with something warm and brown, like hot chocolate. A lot of the cups were gone already, their students having already had a taste.

Shido picked up his, looking inside. He’s never had hot chocolate before, so he couldn’t tell whether it was that drink or not. Still, he tipped back the cup and drank the contents.

It didn’t taste like what he imagined chocolate to taste like. It was on the sweeter side, like pure sugar, but having the warm flavor of hot tea. He could taste something herbal, but it wasn’t like any herbal tea he’s ever had.

Takehiko eyed his suspiciously. “What do you think it is?” He questioned.

Shido licked his lips. “It tastes like...herbal tea,” he declared.

Kohaku had already finished hers. “Yup! It’s got a sweet zing to it, too!”

Takehiko took a testing sip. “...Wow. It IS really good.” He immediately gulped down the rest.

As the rest of the students arrived, the cups vanished from the table, one by one. A lot of the students commented on the unique taste, others cherished how sweet it was, and a few just stayed quiet while sipping away.

Akio tilted his head, looking at his empty cup. “I wonder what exactly this sweet tea was. It tasted different compared to any other tea I’ve had.”

A voice suddenly broke through. “I’m so glad you asked!” Monokuma appeared out of nowhere. “Me and your beloved counselors concocted a brew all of our own!”

“Oh.” Hiroko seemed pleasantly surprised. “This is a handcrafted recipe?”

“You’ll have to thank the Princess.” Monokuma gestured to the counselors having emerged out of nowhere like him. “She knew exactly what to put in to make it really stick with ya!”

The Princess bowed. “I’m happy to have delighted you all,” she stated. “I knew exactly what kind of tea to present to you all to make you feel more homely.”

“Now, then, is everyone here relaxed? Comfy? Ready to hear what is in store?” Monokuma cried out.

“Well, it cannot be worse than a killing game,” Yuji shrugged. “Throw it at us.”

“Very well, then! I had released you yesterday without a very important piece of the game! I was so caught up in the excitement, I forgot all about it!”

“An...important piece?” Yukio questioned.

“I realize that this game of ours is going to drag on for far too long unless some motive is presented! Otherwise, murders are going to take weeks on end, and that’s no fun at all!”

“Eh? A motive?” Yuuki pondered.

Daiki frowned. “An incentive to murder...It’ll have to be truly terrible to cause somebody to snap, just like that.”

Monokuma laughed. “Puhuhuhu! Oh, indeed it is, good sir!”

“Then what is it?” Akihiko demanded. “What’s the motive?”

“You just drank it,” the Mechanic answered plainly.

They all drank the motive? Shido looked down into his cup. His heart began to thud in his chest as he raced for a conclusion. What was in the tea that would cause people to murder?

After a moment, Kohaku shrieked. “WAAAAAAAAH! They were poisoned, weren’t they?!”

“If that’s what you call sweet tea, then sure!” Monokuma replied. “They were poisoned!”

Asuka hissed. “And we all drank the tea...How stupid are we?!”

“The motive is simple,” Hope continued. “If we get a killing in the next 72 hours, the tea is rendered moot, and that’ll be the end of it. But if we don’t...more than one student will be dropping dead.”

“You guys are fuckin’ psychopaths!” Yukio yelled.

“Well, you were the ones that drank the tea,” the Athlete retorted. “You guys were the one that set in motion the motive.”

Surprisingly, Yukio did not have a retort. He just stood there, glaring at Monokuma and the counselors. It was helped by Yuji clutching onto his arm tightly to hold him back.

Tamotsu was pissed. “So waiting this out isn’t an option...You’re risking the lives of multiple people for your entertainment! What if we all agreed to die peacefully as friends?”

“Oh, please!” Monokuma chortled. “I know at least one of you is bound to crack under this pressure, and get to killing!”

Shido felt sick. His stomach churned, still subconsciously digesting this poison within, absorbing it into his bloodstream. Within three days, it would kill him. And would someone truly kill to save them all? It was a noble act, but nothing but despair would be gained from it. Dying from the poison would at least ensure friendship and acceptance. But being saved by murder? Nothing good would arise.

Monokuma looked out amongst the crowd. “Well! That is all for now, students! I hope you have a spectacular last few days, if you do not murder! Puhuhuhuhu!” Monokuma slipped out of sight, and the counselors followed.

Shido began involuntarily shivering. “Is it...o-over?” He questioned quietly.

“Y-Yes,” Tamotsu answered. “For the...most part.” He looked stressed himself, but looked at Shido. “If you need to cry, know that I’ll be here for you, okay?”

Shido sniffed. “Th...Thank you, Tamotsu.”

Yuji looked stressed. “Geesus, bajeez! We’re actually, truly going to die unless we kill?!”

“Then the term kill or be killed is in full effect...” Hiroko hummed. “What a horrible choice for such young people.”

Asuka giggled. “But that’s what makes it so fun. To die innocent, or to live with the horrors of reality...What a thrilling game of choices.”

“This is no game!” Yukio declared. “This is a hellhole!”

“Call it whatever you wish,” Hiroko retorted. “It does not change our opinion.” She them smiled eerily. “My utmost faith lies in all of you, you know. One of you must kill either one of the counselors or one of us for all of us to live. I would rather die while interested in the game over dying bored with the outcome.”

“You...You’re sick!” Takehiko yelled. “Sick to the bone!”

Hiroko merely smiled, ignoring him. “Well, then. If everybody is acquainted with the reality of our situation, I’m going back to my dorm. Everyone else can do what they want!” Still with a cheery expression, she slipped out, leaving everyone standing there.

Shido had no idea what to do. He just stood there in the main hall as the students began to trickle out, one by one. All of them had paranoia in their minds and poison in their guts. Would one truly kill to save the others?

“H-Hey, Shido?” Takehiko asked the smaller one. “Are you okay?”

“Huh? Y-Yea! I’m fine!” Shido gulped. “I just...need some time to myself.”

Takehiko seemed to be about to press towards staying with him. However, Kohaku reached out and took Takehiko’s hand, preventing him from doing so. He seemed to understand as she shook her head at him.

“Okay, Shido,” she said for the other. “We’ll give you some space.” She began to pull away Takehiko by the hand, both leaving the main hall and rendering Shido alone.

Once they were gone, Shido sighed out a breath he had no idea he was holding. His shoulders went lack, and his feet went out from under him. Falling to the ground, he sat there, unwilling to get up.

Somebody walked up behind him, and crouched down next to him. He glanced over to see the glimmer of a mouth mask, and unblinking dusty golden eyes.

“You alright, kid?” He questioned.

“You poisoned us!” Shido declared.

The Yakuza looked away. “Wish I didn’t,” he admitted. “You guys ain’t so bad.”

Shido gulped. He found himself relaxing, despite the Yakuza being the enemy. He just had this air that made him feel relatively safer. “R...Really?”

“Yea, really. Trust me. If I could stop this killin’ game with my bare hands, I would. Without hesitation. But I can’t. I don’t have that sort of power.”

Shido found himself nodding. “Right...The counselors are just glorified admins.”

At once, the Yakuza froze. He didn’t expect that analogy. Shido immediately thought that he had angered the counselor.

He wasn’t angry, but...something else that Shido couldn’t identify. “You’ve met ‘im, haven’t ya?” He lowered his voice to a murmur.

Shido was alerted to the face immediately that he shouldn’t say Nagito’s name. “Um...Y-Yes, I...I have.”

“Don’t speak a word about ‘im ta anybody but me. Don’t even imply that ya know ‘im, or ever use any sort of analogy like ‘im again.” The Yakuza glared when Shido only blinked. “This is more serious than ya think, kid! Don’t just nod along!”

“G-Got it! I got it, Yakuza!”

“Oh, and one more thing. Whatever ya do in this godforsaken place, no matter what happens...keep yer friends close and yer enemies even closer. It’s a whole gambit, this place. Allies are needed.” The Yakuza looked...sad? Did he once not need that advice, and paid the price? Or was there something more?

Something told Shido that he wouldn’t get the answer, so he had to leave it be. “I...I got it. Friends.”

“I know it’ll be hard for ya. Yer a scaredy-cat, ain’t ya?” Shido slowly nodded. “Well, then you gotta overcome it. It’ll be the only way to survive.”

“To...survive.” Shido nodded more fervently. “Got it.”

The Yakuza smiled. “Good kid.” He stood up. “Well, then. See ya later, when the time calls.”

“When the time calls?”

“You’ll know. Trust me.” The Yakuza walked off without another word, leaving Shido in the main hall with more questions than answers.

To keep your friends close and enemies closer...well obviously, Monokuma and the counselors would be the enemies. And the students and Nagito would be the friends. Though Shido couldn’t call them his friends. He was too beneath them. But for now...they can be just allies. 

So...this was the time to establish good bonds with his allies? By hanging out? Shido was not used to any type of this activity. But he could try and make...a friendship.


	7. Chapter 1-4: The Scared Light and the Pilfered Dark

Shido found Keiko Kanon in the music room, hanging out in the corner while Yoshie was at the piano again. Shido would like to get to know the soft-speaking Ultimate Caretaker, but for now, his focus was on the girl.

Keiko grinned as he walked up. “Heeeey, Shido! Whatcha doing?”

“W-Well, I had time to...um, kill...so I wanted to hang out with you.”

“Oh! Right on cue!” Keiko half-sang. “See, I wanted to figure out some really bopping tunes! And what better person to ask than the one who makes routines to music!”

Shido looked a bit nervous. “Y-Yea...I’m not really a good source of opinions. I-I usually just go with the flow.”

“Hey, you can just tell me what sounds good and what doesn’t!” Keiko retorted. “No other kinds of opinions are needed! Okay? Okaaaay~!”

Keiko wasn’t going to let him out of this now, wasn’t she? Shido took a breath and resigned himself to this fate.

For the next hour or so, they ran through all of the CDs that Keiko found. Most were gaudy and cheesy, and both of them found zero taste in any of them. The rare likeable one wasn’t even in their selected genre. All of the songs were a bust, and just left a sour taste on each of their tongues. Keiko was particularly upset at this failed plan.

Shido was sympathetic to her plight, so he thought up of an idea on the spot. There was this strange machine in the back of the storage room connected to the kitchen, where if you put in coins you found throughout the summer school, you would get one out of dozens of prizes. He had spent a good time fooling around with it and getting an influx of presents.

Now, he pulled out a pair of bunny earmuffs, having been won from this machine. It was apparently one of the most popular items from gothic lolita designer Ina Bauer. He had never heard of her up until this point, but would it make Keiko feel better?

“H-Here.” Shido held them out, and Keiko looked at them. “Since you’re upset...I-I wanted to give you these to feel better.”

Keiko gasped, and took them. “Oh, they’re beautiful!” She squeezed the bunnies. “And so soft, too!” She then hugged Shido. “Oh, thank you so much!”

Shido immediately blushed, unsure of how to react. “You...You’re welcome!” He stammered. He made a note to himself that people liked unexpected gifts, so this should become a bit of a habit for him.

“Hey, Shido?” Keiko suddenly questioned as they began to pack up the CDs. “What’s your family like?”

Shido reeled back as if he had touched a hot stove. “Wh...huh?”

“Your family! What are they like?”

He cleared his throat. “W-Well...They know the best for me, that’s for sure. And, um...They have tough love?”

“My family has love to go all around!” Keiko exclaimed. “That’s what happens when you don’t have anything else to give. You make up for it with love!”

Shido paused. “Wait...Your family had nothing?”

“Well...Yea,” Keiko admitted. “We were really poor, and always down on our luck. But we made up for it by how happy we always were, and how much love we wanted to give each other and friends!”

Shido was actually confused. “So when you had no food or electricity?”

“Those things were surprisingly scarce,” Keiko admitted. For a moment, she looked as if she was in another, more harsh time. “A lot of the food we got was from the bargain bin. And the lights would always go out for a week or more at the end of the month because we couldn’t get a paycheck in time to pay the bills.” Keiko noticed Shido’s worried expression. “Huh?”

“Such a horrible lifestyle...” Shido whispered. “I couldn’t even tell from you.”

“But it did teach me how to be humble!” Keiko declared. “I can’t take things for granted, or otherwise, they’ll be taken from me! I gotta work harder and harder, and get what I earn in the end!” She smiled softly. “For my family...and everybody cheering me on outside this school.”

What a heroic and noble spirit...even the most airheaded are better than Shido. This girl had to work for everything in her life, and he was just handed things like a spoiled brat. He couldn’t appreciate things the same way this hard worker did.

“Don’t worry!” Keiko suddenly said. “You worked hard too, since you’re an Ultimate!”

“W-Waagh! I said that out loud?!”

“No, I’m psychic.” She paused, then laughed. “Nope! Just kidding! Really, really good intuition!” She frowned. “Thought you have to stop putting yourself down, all jokes aside. You probably worked extremely hard to be the Ultimate Dancer. You’re the best of the best!” She then smiled again. “And your family is cheering you on, I’m sure of it!”

Shido doesn’t want to tell her the truth and crush her expectations...perhaps another day? But for now, he can feel they’ve gotten a little bit closer. He might be able to relax a bit more around her.

It seems to have become close to noon by now. It was about eleven, if Shido would make a rough estimate. He still had time to befriend a few more people.

The next person he sought out was lingering in one of the classrooms. Shido realized he’s never been in one before. The room was set up as if it would be time for school any minute now, with desks and chairs prepped for the new lesson. On the chalkboard was some sort of graffiti detailing how to cheat at poker. Shido found himself subconsciously remembering the tricks without even realizing it.

The only person inside was Haruki, near the door to the classroom. He seemed to be writing down something. With slight amusement, Shido realized Haruki was writing down the cheating tactics on the board.

“Haruki?” Shido questioned.

“Ah!” Haruki was startled. “Oh, Shido! Hi! Don’t tell anyone about this!”

“D-Don’t worry! I won’t!” He swore, then blushed. “I was...kind of memorizing them, myself.”

“Wow! You can memorize things by just looking at them? I can’t really do that with words...just pictures. A-Anyways, do you need something?”

“Nothing. I-I was just...wondering if you wanted to hang out for a while. I-I have nothing else to do.”

Haruki immediately beamed. “Of course I would! You see, I was hoping to try and make some tea in the kitchen, but...I don’t know how.”

Shido actually lit up. “Oh! I-I know how to make the perfect tea! I’ll be happy to help!”

Indeed, in the kitchen, Shido expertly prepared an entire teacup for the two of them. Haruki was immediately enraptured, proclaiming the tea was divine. Then, in a devilish manner, he suggested they leave the tea out for others to have, wait for Hiroko to fawn over it, then declare that Shido made it, forcing her to compliment his work. Shido had no idea why, but he laughed at the idea, though it was mean-spirited.

Since Keiko was happy to get a gift, Shido hoped Haruki would be, too. From his array of gifts he’s collected, he passed over a pile of multi-sided die. More exactly, a full set of dice consisting of a d4, d8, d10, d12, and d20. Shido thinks they were made as special edition for an anniversary of a game, but he wasn’t that interested in that stuff, so he didn’t know.

“Oh!” Haruki was surprised. “Are these special edition?”

“Um...I think?” Shido answered.

“Well, while I don’t play the game, these aren’t commonplace, so I’ll accept them. I appreciate the thought, though!” Haruki gratefully took the gift.

So he didn’t really like them, but accepted them all the same? Shido had to try better next time.

“Say, Shido? Do you lean towards any particular styles in your dancing?” Haruki suddenly asked.

“Huh? Um...I-I’m not excluded to one style,” Shido admitted. “But I will admit...I show a preference to more graceful arts.”

“Oh! Like...ballet?” Haruki guessed.

“S-Sure,” Shido answered. “That would be an exact term for it. But more exactly...I lean towards the more general perspective of concert dances.”

Haruki was surprised. “Wait, really?”

“Well, I don’t often dance for crowds,” Shido admitted. “It’s just that...most dances classified as ‘concert’ have fluidity and grace to them. With a small form like mine, fluid movements are everything, instead of hip hop’s stop and go.” He then blushed. “B-Besides, I just...like ballet and other dances like it.”

The smaller boy clearly wasn’t getting the slang, but was trying to. “Oh! That’s really...unique! I’ve seen a lot of popular dancers just try and get with the times, so hanging around with the classical arts really is more noble than you think!”

Shido realized how rude he was being. “Oh! You have your preferences too, right? A-As the Ultimate Painter?”

Haruki seemed to realize how focused they were on Shido, too. “Oh! Yes, I do!” He smiled. “I like to make my paintings as realistic, but beautiful as possible. Trust me, I’ve tried other arts, but they never stuck with me.”

Shido began to think. Haruki’s main painting methods were realistic, so he had to be a major in...

>>Abstract

**>>Photorealism**

>>Pointillism

“S-So...Realism?” Shido guessed. “Photorealism?”

Haruki smiled. “Yup! I take real world pictures, and paint them so lifelike, people can’t tell the difference unless they look seriously close!”

What an incredible ability...He’s never heard of Haruki before this time, or seen his paintings, but he certainly wouldn’t doubt the small boy’s abilities. He was the Ultimate Painter, after all.

“You know, I think that’s what every artistic person requires to truly be successful,” Haruki said. “A central theme. A core to all of their works. You understand, right?”

“Um...Sure.” Shido nodded along.

A central theme...Shido realized that he actually had that. All of his graceful and slow movements were prevalent in all of his dances, though he sometimes did fast-paced spins and backflips, too. He just didn’t even realize it. This conversation has brought a bit of new information to light, and brought him and Haruki closer together.

There were a few more hours left in the day, so he decided to go find Kohaku. By a lucky guess, he found her in the dorm hallways, humming a familiar tune. He didn’t know where he’s heard it from, but it made his heart soar for some reason.

Kohaku noticed him. “Oh, hey, Shido! Whatcha need?”

Shido, a bit off put by her sudden movement, blushed out of embarrassment. “W-Well...I don’t mean to bother you, but...I wanted to see if we could hang out?”

Kohaku tapped her chin. “Hm...hanging out...um...well, uh...” She suddenly laughed. “Man, I’m just giving you a hard time! Of course we can hang!”

Shido exhaled in relief. He was worried that he was just bothering her, so hearing her say that took some stress off of him.

For the next hour or so, they sat in the hallway, shoulders against each other. Kohaku was going off on a tirade of how she was carved out of wood and brought to life by the wishes of a lonely old carpenter, and Shido was beginning to doze off during it. Before long, his head was on her shoulder, and a drool line was going down as he passed out, snoring.

When he was suddenly jostled awake, he almost screamed. Instead, he looked over with wide eyes at Kohaku staring at him with a confused expression.

“Yo, you fell asleep on me, man!” She complained. “And I was getting to the good part, where I got swallowed by a whale!”

Shido rubbed his eyes. “S-Sorry...”

He wanted to make it up to her, so he decided to go through his gifts from the Monomono Machine. By chance, he pulled out a sealed canister full of ginger tea, or more exactly, hot water with grated ginger in it. It warms the body and prevents colds. It would taste delicious with honey mixed in, but he doesn’t have that at the moment.

He passed it over to Kohaku. “H-Here. You’re probably parched after talking for so long.”

“Aww, how did you know?” Kohaku uncapped the drink and took a deep whiff. “Oooooh, gingeeeer~! This stuff is the shiz, let me tell you!” She took a deep swig, but seemed to immediately regret that. “Aaaah! Hah-hah-hoot!”

Shido panicked. “D-Don’t burn yourself!”

While Kohaku took it too fast and hurt herself, she seemed to love the ginger tea, even without honey. It made Shido feel less guilty for dozing off during her story.

Speaking of, Shido had a question related to that. “Oh, um...Kohaku?”

Kohaku tilted her head. “Bweh? Whaddaya need?”

“Why do you...spin so many stories i-instead of telling your real past?”

Instead of answering, Kohaku laughed. “Oh, Shido! Silly Shido!”

Shido’s face turned red. “Did...I say something wrong?”

Kohaku abruptly stopped laughing a little too eerily. “Oh, no. Nothing is wrong. Everything is fine, Shido.” She then smiled. “I just like to, that’s all.”

Shido looked confused. “You...like to?”

“Uh-huh. If you lie about your past and make up stories, then it’s never boring! Telling the same story over and over again, reciting the same words from front to back...gosh, it would make me hate my own origin story! So that’s the reason behind all of the silly-billy stories! Because they’re fun!”

Shido nodded slowly. “Uh...uh-huh. Fun...”

Kohaku pouted. “Man, you sound like you don’t like fun! That’s not cool of you at all!”

Immediately, he panicked. “N-No! I like fun! I like it a lot! I do a lot of fun things!”

Kohaku immediately keyed in on that. “Oh? Like what?”

Shido scrambled for an answer. “Oh...Um...eh...well, I...see, it’s not coming to me right now b-because of the pressure, so...I-I’ll tell you later!”

Kohalu stared at him quietly with an unreadable expression. However, it changed to happiness again after a moment. “Okay! You better have a whole list of fun things you do prepared for me when we get to talk again like this! You feel me?”

“Um...Okay! Okay, I will!” Shido quickly nodded.

Kohaku stood up. “Good.” Spinning on her shoes, she walked down the hall, leaving him sitting there.

Fun things that he does...Shido needs to put together a small list to appease Kohaku once they get to talk together again. But he feels that he can understand Kohaku’s eccentries a bit more.

_ Ding dong, ding dong… _

_ “Ahem...This is a school announcement! It is now 10 PM, which means the rule of nighttime is in full affect. The dining hall will close in short time, and entering it is forbidden. Well, then! Goodnight! Have beary good dreams...” _

Nighttime...This now means it’s only two days until the poison kills them all. Until then, all they can do is wait, and befriend others so they can at least die among comrades.

But for now, Shido had business. Making sure nobody was there to see him go, he slipped out of the front doors of the summer school and made his way down the road to the fences.

** _Weil Theater_ **

_ “You all have been poisoned? With three days left to live? To be honest, there is no correct response to that. On one hand, if I show sympathy, it will come off as half-assed and obligant. But on the other hand, if I don’t, wouldn’t that make things awkward and tense? But don't worry: I AM concerned! In fact, I could probably work to find out what the cure for this poison is. I have a plethora of knowledge at my fingertips. A few quick hours of research should help me deduce the exact poison and antidote! I should have a result by tomorrow!” _


	8. Chapter 1-5: The Sacred Light and the Pilfered Dark

_ Ding dong, ding dong... _

_ “Attention, everybody! It is now eight AM, which means it’s time to get up and embrace the morning! I hope you all have a spectacular day here in Monolith Valley Summer School!” _

The second day of the prematurely ending summer school trip...Shido couldn’t help but find himself unable to shake off a looming cloud over him. It was one that weighed a bit too hard on his chest to be comfortable.

There was nothing planned for the day, so Shido found himself getting up to go find people to hang out with. Prepping his makeup and hair, he left his room to see if anyone was also free for the day.

The first person he found was Tamotsu, out in the halls. He looked to be heading towards the dining hall for some breakfast, so Shido quickly scurried to catch up to him.

Tamotsu heard heels clicking, and looked to see Shido. “Ah, Shido! How are you today?”

“U-Um...fine. Do you have some spare time?”

“What, to hang out?” Tamotsu guessed.

Shido nodded slowly. “Y-Yea...”

The Ultimate Anti-Hero smiled. “Of course. I’ll be happy to have breakfast with you, if you want to.”

Shido looked happy. “R-Really?”

“Of course! You don’t have to ask about such a trivial thing! Now, come along, while we still can get some hot food.”

In the dining hall, Tamotsu and Shido sat at the end of one of the tables as other friend groups had their meals while chatting to each other. While Tamotsu seemed to stick to a very balanced meal, Shido only had the bare minimum of healthiness, leaning more towards preserved foods. Tamotsu was obviously judging him for this, going by his concerned expression.

As he was eating, Shido remembered the new habit he’s been cultivating. Going through his pockets, he tried to decide what gift Tamotsu would like.

Shido pulled out a gun replica. It was labelled the Golden Gun, due to its yellow color. It was a replica of the gun preferred by a famous assassin. It's not really much good by itself. It can't even be cocked. It was really just a toy.

Tamotsu looked as Shido passed it over to him. “Huh? What’s this?”

“A Golden Gun replica,” Shido answered. “I-I thought you might like it.”

Tamotsu smiled. “It isn’t bad. It’s nearly perfect...save for the lack of it being a real gun.”

Shido shrugged. “I-I don’t think Monokuma would allow guns on school grounds to be obtained so easily...”

Tamotsu seemed to like it, but there was certainly room for improvement with him. Shido put that in the back of his mind for future reference.

Tamotsu put it away. “However, now that we’re talking, I would like to speak about your family.”

Oh no. Shido prepared himself for the worst as best as he could. “L...Like how?”

“Be honest to me, Shido. Is your family abusive?”

“N-No!” Shido cried in alarm. “Not at all! I...It’s my fault for being like this, not them!”

“Like...this? You mean the top of your field as an Ultimate?”

Shido twiddled his thumbs nervously. “U-Um...” He grinned a bit nervously. “Wh-What about your family?”

“My mother died from health complications and my father was an abusive drunkard,” Tamotsu replied in a cool manner.

Shido paused. “H...Huh?”

“What’s wrong?”

“N-Nothing, but...You said that so calmly and easily?”

Tamotsu shrugged. “I’ve gotten over it. It happened long ago. My father is in jail now, and he won't be able to get near me anyways. Even when his sentence is over, he’s on probation, and he won’t be able to go near a famous Ultimate without the press finding it out, one way or another.”

“But...a-aren’t you scared of him ever coming back?” Shido questioned.

“Oh yes,” Tamotsu admitted. “I’m terrified. But I choose to ignore it. I know that I will come out on top if he ever does return.”

“And...what if you don’t?”

Tamotsu’s face went dark. He suddenly looked as if his mother had died right in front of him. No emotion was there except fear in his eyes.

“...I will,” he finally said, but the horror in his face didn’t go away.

For those few seconds, Shido must have seen the boy behind the mask of a vigilante hero. The scared child that only took this up to protect others like him. Shido could feel that he and Tamotsu have grown closer, like kindred spirits.

There was still plenty of time in the day left, so Shido decided to go find somebody else. With a quick goodbye to Takehiko, he stood up and walked off.

Takehiko was in the music room, at the bars. He was stretching his legs, and gave a satisfied look and grunt every now and then. This was probably a muscle exercise to help keep him in shape.

Shido walked up, looking at Takehiko. “Is that an exercise?”

Takehiko smiled. “Yea. What, wanna join me?”

“S-Sure! I do need to exercise every now and then, too.” Shido took his place at the bar behind Takehiko, beginning to point his leg out and feeling his joints pop.

Both of them stretched their muscles for a while in the music room. Not only that, Shido was able to learn some good alternative stretching methods from Takehiko. By the end of it, both were exhausted and sore.

As Shido sat there, he watched Takehiko pant a bit. A cool drink or something may be able to help him. Shido doesn’t have any cold drinks, but he remembered he did have a cold food.

Viva Ice. A strawberry-flavored shaved ice treat that comes with a spoon containing lottery numbers. If your numbers win, you would receive more shaved ice. There’s not really a lottery in the summer school, but the frozen treat is still too delicious to pass up.

“Takehiko?” Shido held out the ice. “Would you like this?”

Takehiko took it. “Aw, thanks, man! I love Viva Ice! It’s like, my favorite shaved ice company!”

Shido tilted his head. “You have a favorite shaved ice company?”

Takehiko nodded. “Yea! They got really good shaved ice flavors!” He began to shovel said flavored ice into his mouth.

Shido was extremely happy with the result. He even had discovered a favorite treat of Takehiko’s in the process.

Takehiko was finished in less than a minute, so he spent the rest of it staring off into space silently. No conversation was enacted by him as he suddenly was frowning.

“Um...What’s wrong?” Shido asked.

“Being alone...” Takehiko said. “In a bit of honesty, it’s a new experience.”

Shido was surprised. “Y-You’re never alone?”

“Not at all, man! In my house, since I’m the Ultimate Ninja, I’m always flanked by Juzaburo clan members. They want to teach me new stuff, have me perform stupid party favors...”

“Ninja skills are...party favors?”

Takehiko grinned. “Superb ninja skills are certainly bragging points in the clan, yea.” He then sighed. “And all of my younger siblings and cousins flock to me constantly. I’m like a role model for all of them.”

“M-Must be stressful.”

“Oh, it was. I actually begged my older siblings to help me hide from them.” Takehiko frowned. “Now, I...actually really want then to chase me around again. You know that feeling, right? When you have something and take it for granted, so when it's gone, all you want is to just...have it, for one more time at least?”

Shido only looked away. “I...admittedly wouldn’t know. I-I’ve never really missed something before.”

Takehiko looked confused. “What? Nothing? Like a food item? A location? A person?”

“...Th-There is one person I haven’t seen for a long time...” Shido admitted. “From...my childhood.”

“And you don’t miss them?”

“I’m...well, I’m not supposed to,” Shido remarked. “W-We aren’t allowed to interact anymore.”

“Oh...I’m sorry.”

“N-No, it was my fault! You shouldn’t apologize for it.” Shido looked saddened. “And...besides, I never saw them again after our split, so...it wasn’t like I could make it up to them. Th-They probably just hated me after it...”

“W-Wait! Why would somebody hate you?” Takehiko questioned.

“It’s...really not important...” Shido looked away. “A-All you need to know is...is that it was my fault.”

“...Are you sure about that yourself?”

“...No...”

Takehiko said nothing more. All he did was look ahead, continuing to sit on the music room floor. However, his mind was obviously thinking about what Shido ended the conversation with.

That was a terrible thing to say. Shido should clarify what he meant, but Takehiko probably won’t hear it. Regardless, he could feel that they became closer from this talk.

A few hours remained in the day. He could probably talk to one more person.

He found Yukio in the laundry room once more. He was observing those fashionista magazines with a cheesy smile on his face, as if struck by Cupid’s arrow.

“Y...Yukio?”

Yukio screamed, dropping the magazine. “U-U-Uh, hey! Shido! Knock next time!”

“You...didn’t even hear me open the laundry room door?” Shido questioned. “What are you doing, observing the girls in the magazines?”

Yukio went beet red. “U-U-Uh, yea! J-Just that! That’s...all! Um...W-Whaddaya need?”

“...Do you...want to hang out?”

“Hang out...Oh! H-Hang out! Yea, sure, I’m free for the rest of the day!”

That awkward ice-breaker aside, Shido and Yukio were able to have a very friendly chat in the laundry room. Yukio mainly focused on all of his achievements with his brother, and Shido simply found himself in awe of him.

When the conversation was drawing to a close, Shido began to look through what he had. What Monomono Machine prize did he have that Yukio would like?

Finally, Shido pulled out a pair of dog tags, used to identify soldiers. The same profile is engraved on two plates so that if the owner is killed, one is collected to report death. However, since these were a prop, they were both blank.

Yukio looked surprised at the gift. “Huh? Dog tags?” He frowned a bit. “While it isn’t my favorite thing in the world, it’s still a nice trinket to have. Thanks for the thought?”

Yukio didn’t seem too delighted with the dog tags...Shido felt embarrassed for displeasing him. He definitely needs to try harder next time.

Shido found a new topic of conversation. “So, what kinds of hunting do you do?”

Yukio paused. “Huh?”

“Y-You know, as the Ultimate Gunner. Do you hunt things?”

“Oh, yeah! I’m a really great hunter! I know how to scout for plants, shoot some wildlife on the ground...”

Shido frowned. “And in the sky, right?”

Yukio paused, then blushed in embarrassment. “That’s, uh...a different story entirely, Shido.”

“Huh? Wh-Why so?”

“This is...a bit embarrassing, but...since I was a kid, I’ve had ornithophobia.”

“Ornitho...phobia?”

“It’s a fear of birds. I developed it when I was really young.”

“I-If you don’t mind me asking...what happened?”

“...You gotta promise not to laugh, though. You promise, right?” Shido nodded slowly, and Yukio sighed. “I got attacked by a peacock. You know those birds?”

“Huh? Peacocks attack people?”

“Actually, yea! They’re more common than you think! When I was...I wanna say four, I went into a peacock enclosure at a zoo with my parents, before Yuji was born. We all went along a path fenced off, and we were given clear instructions to not go over the fence into the peacocks’ territory.”

“...Y-You went over the fence, didn’t you?”

Yukio nodded. “I went over the fence. And got chased and attacked by a peacock that was my size back then. I got a scar hidden by my hair from its beak!” He sighed. “Since then, I’ve had such an irrational fear.”

“Wh-Why don’t you go to therapy for it?”

“Are you kiddin’ me? Admittin’ that I have a phobia because I was a dumb kid and instigated a fight with the drag queens of the bird species? No thank you. I’ll save myself the embarrassment. Besides, it’s not like it affects my normal life.” Yukio crossed his arms. “Just gives me a childhood fear of Duck Hunter.”

While Yukio covered up his shame with amusement and sarcasm, Shido could clearly see that it wouldn’t affect him all that much. It just has evolved into an amusing story to tell. Shido feels like he and Yukio have become a bit closer today.

_ Ding dong, ding dong… _

_ “Ahem...This is a school announcement! It is now 10 PM, which means the rule of nighttime is in full affect. The dining hall will close in short time, and entering it is forbidden. Well, then! Goodnight! Have beary good dreams...” _

Nighttime...One more day before the poison would kill them all. Shido was at least a bit more comforted by knowing the people he will die with a little bit better, but for now...time to see his friend on the other side.

** _Weil Theater_ **

_ “Um...I said I would have a result, but...no. I got nothing. I haven’t figured out a curable poison that kills you after exactly 72 hours. I even asked my guardian at the moment, and...she couldn’t deduce it, either. But I at least made her suspicious of Monolith Valley by asking that question, right? But anyways, we still have a full day left to find a cure without anyone having to die for it. I’m sure we’ll have a result by tomorrow night! And then there will be her bugging me about the valley, she’ll realize the truth, then boom! You all will be saved with no casualties!” _


	9. Chapter 1-6: The Sacred Light and the Pilfered Dark

_ Ding dong, ding dong... _

_ “Attention, everybody! It is now eight AM, which means it’s time to get up and embrace the morning! I hope you all have a spectacular day here in Monolith Valley Summer School!” _

Another morning in Monolith Valley...and it was to be their last, too. The poison in their bodies would kill them by the end of the day, or sometime during the night. There was no way Nagito would get a cure in time. It was...hopeless.

Hopeless...what a strong word. But it summed up the situation eerily well. And Shido knew he wasn’t the only one with this feeling.

He decided to keep under his covers for the day. Everybody else would understand. In fact, a few people were probably hiding out in their rooms, too. Spending their remaining eyes in solitude and sorrow, with no effort to try and get up...he couldn’t be the only one, right?

His moping was interrupted by a knocking at the door. It was quick and loud, and kept going when Shido didn’t initially answer.

He sat up, his hair a mess. “I’m coming!” He yelled, but they didn’t stop. Right. It was soundproof. Getting up, he walked over to the door and opened it up.

Kohaku stood there, grinning. Her clothes were ruffled, as if she had just gotten out of bed. But still, her bright smile was unaffected.

“Hey, hey!” She proclaimed. “No sleeping in! You gotta spend the rest of the day with me! The law demands it!”

“Wh...Huh?!” Shido almost screamed. “Law of what?!”

“The law of common sense! You should always use your last day on Earth to hang out with whoever you can! Nobody wants to die alone!”

Shido looked down to the ground, twiddling his thumbs. “Wh...What if I want to, though...?”

Kohaku didn’t even stop smiling. “Well, then you’re lying! Nobody deserves to die alone! Instead, let’s surround ourselves with loved ones, and do all the dangerous shiz we’re too scared to! We’re gonna die anyways, right?”

Such am optimistic mood...how could anyone pull it off with a subject like this? Kohaku was now close to just plain scaring Shido. And she probably wasn’t even going to leave him alone, as well. He had to deal with her on his last day? Why would she want to hang out with scum like him?

Before he could say anything else, Kohaku took him by the hand. “Come on! Everyone else is probably in the dining hall!”

Shido didn’t resist. He knew that he couldn’t fight her. He just let himself be dragged along. “O-Okay...” He murmured.

Inside of the dining hall, barely anybody was there. Shido could only count three or so people lingering around the tables, and even they weren’t eating. They were just staring ahead, as if waiting for something to happen.

Kyou looked up. “Oh! Kohaku and Shido! I’m surprised you’ve gotten out of bed.” He looked down at his feet. “Frankly, I wouldn’t blame you if you stayed in your room out of sadness. I’m actually surprised more have joined us this morning. I thought this would be everyone.”

“Yes, and that’s saying something, viewing that you would...ride or die when it boils down to being orderly and on time,” Akio said, using fancy terms to strengthen his speech.

“Well...H-How are you guys doing?” Haruki asked quietly.

Kohaku shrugged. “Fine, but...Are you sure this will be everyone?”

“It’s seven-thirty now,” Kyou answered. “Nobody’s arrived for twenty minutes besides you all. I guess they’re sheltered in their rooms.”

Kohaku grinned. “Then that’s more food for us, right?”

“Y-Yes, but...what’s the point?” Shido muttered. “We’re still going to die, so there is no point in eating.”

“That’s not a good attitude!” Kohaku took his wrist. “Think of it as this: we can eat whatever we want!”

Shido sighed, keeping his head down. “Wh-Whatever makes you happy.”

“That’s the spirit!” Kohaku dragged him to the kitchen. “Let’s see if there’s any sweets!”

The dining hall's kitchen wasn’t different than any other kitchen. There was a huge stack of vegetables and fruits, yes, but there was kitchenware and ovens scattered throughout the room. A door was in the back, most likely leading to the storage.

“Come on, help me find the sweets!” Kohaku bounded to the drawers, beginning to nearly tear them out to rummage through them.

Shido gulped, and slowly pulled out another drawer. “O...Okay,” he whimpered a bit, unable to do anything since Kohaku was practically strongarming him into this.

This was stupid. Why were they doing this? How was she unable to take this seriously? They all will be dead by tomorrow morning because of the poisoning. Why couldn't she understand? Why wouldn’t she?

Everything was getting to him. He wanted to go back under his covers, where it was safe, and sob over never being able to apologise to his family for everything he did. They’re going to hate him beyond his death, weren’t they? He was so stupid for accepting the stupid Hope’s Peak.

He should have gone back to them. He shouldn’t have accepted the title of Ultimate Dancer. He didn’t deserve it. He took the spot of freshman student away from somebody who truly deserved it.

He was a waste of space. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Worthless, worthless, worthless. Nothing but-

Shido suddenly tilted his head up and sniffed. His nose crinkled up. The metallic smell of this kitchen really was disgusting, almost pungent.

“...Shido?” Kohaku looked at his disgusted expression.

“S-Sorry,” he meekly apologized. “The bleached, metallic smell of this kitchen really is gross.”

“...Shido, a clean room doesn’t smell metallic.”

Shido stared at Kohaku. At first, he thought she was just correcting him on the terminology. However, he noticed her face had fallen into concern, though not exactly for him. A metallic smell...wasn't a kitchen smell?

Kohaku looked up. “Where is it coming from? You seem to have a good nose.”

Shido sighed. He didn’t want to be a bloodhound. However, he took a deeper whiff, and began looking around. Trying to pinpoint the location...

Shido then pointed at the door to the storage room. “I-It’s from there,” he said.

“I...didn’t notice when we walked in, but...the door to the storage room is open, but just a crack.”

He looked confused at her. “S-So?”

“I know for a fact it wasn’t like that yesterday, and nobody had a reason to go into the storage room this morning!” Kohaku suddenly rushed to the door.

“Wait! K-Kohaku!” Shido followed.

The Ultimate Illusionist slammed open the door. At once, the metallic smell became almost unbearable. Shido almost stumbled back from the overpowering wave. And with it, came a strong feeling to run out and not look back.

However, Kohaku grabbed his hand and forced him in after her. “Come on!” She yelled.

The storage room was dark. No natural light came into the room, as no windows were installed. Crates and shelves of various necessities were stacked along the walls and also made makeshift rows. It was just like Monokuma said, a surplus of items.

There was also another addition to the collection. It began with blood, flowing like a stream to the door and just stopping a few feet short of it. Multiple punctures went through the shirt of the corpse, plunging into the flesh below and letting the blood flow out. Crinkled tape was plastered over the corpse’s mouth, and eyes were bloodshot and wide in utmost fear.

The lifeless body of Takehiko Juzaburo laid in the storage room, left just to collect dust.

For a long while, neither student spoke. Neither wanted to. They only blinked, the situation not entirely hitting them yet.

_ Ding dong, ding dong... _

_ “A body has been discovered! Everyone, please make your way to the main hall at your closest convenience!” _

Finally, one of them said something. A normal, but surprised “Oh.” emanated from Kohaku. She didn’t sound shocked. Not even concerned. Just put off guard.

Shido was an entirely different story. “Ah...aaaaah...” He gripped at his hair. “AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!”

Takehiko was...dead? How could he dead? Why was it him? Why wasn’t it Shido, who was more worthless in comparison? Why...Why the only person who was nice and gentle to him, and stuck up for him no matter what?!

Shido was aware of others running in, and somebody saying something, but he didn’t register it. All he did was let his eyes roll into the back of his head, and he collapsed to the floor, fainting right on the spot.

** _Chapter 1: The Scared Life and the Pilfered Dark_ **

** _DEADLY LIFE_ **


	10. Chapter 1-7: The Sacred Light and the Pilfered Dark

The next time Shido woke up, he was on a different surface than the kitchen floor. It was more hard on the back of his head, much like a bleacher. So he must be on the bleachers in the main hall.

He immediately heard a noise, and sat up slowly. His head rang with the sudden movement, and he clutched at his noggin, whining a bit. Once his vision adjusted, he looked to the side.

All of the students were there, either staring at him or looking away. He could count...fourteen. Wait, then who was the fifteenth student missing? Was it...?

“Oh, hey!” Yuji interrupted his thoughts. “You’re finally awake, Shido.”

“You hit your head pretty badly when you fainted,” Yoshie said. “Will you be alright?”

“I-It’s just a dizzy spell...” Shido murmured. “I’ll be fine.”

Yukio sighed. “But I wouldn’t blame you for faintin’. Especially after what we saw in the storage room.”

The storage room. It all came back to Shido. The lifeless body strewn amongst the boxes to slowly rot away. The horrible stench of blood overloading his senses until he couldn’t take it anymore and completely shut down.

Takehiko Juzaburo, the Ultimate Ninja, and his first and only ally here...was dead.

“Ta...” The color left Shido’s face again. “Take...hiko?”

“Dead as a doorknob,” Hiroko remarked.

“N-No...” The dancer stood up, looking ready to vomit. “He...He can’t!”

“This isn’t a joke,” Asuka remarked. “Takehiko is truly dead. You saw it with your own eyes.”

Shido only let out a strangled cry. “He can’t be! He was...he was stronger than that!”

Hiroko sighed. “Just accept it. He’s dead, murdered in cold blood. Get that through your head.”

Hiroko’s words were only making this worse. Shido couldn’t accept this, he wouldn’t. He was ready to empty his stomach right on the floor, or pass out again. The room was spinning, and sweat was pouring down his face.

“Why won’t you shut the fuck up?”

Shido felt an arm on both of his shoulders. He lifted his tear-soaked face upwards to see his apparent savior. The mysterious Ultimate, Yuuki Shunsho...he was now holding Shido protectively while staring at Hiroko.

The Ultimate Mage was now staring at Yuuki. “...I’m sorry?”

“Takehiko was Shido’s closest friend, so of course he’s reacting like this. Any normal person would act the same way if in the same boat. But I guess you wouldn’t know since you have no friends.”

Hiroko’s calm composure flickered for a moment. The corner of her mouth twitched into a frown for a few moments, but she quickly restored her smiling expression. However, her eyes were now narrowed, and her smile was a bit more forced.

“And why do you have the privilege to stay that?” She retorted. “You are a baby who was dropped on his head. You remember nothing about yourself. You have nothing of yourself.”

“I have friends,” Yuuki calmly said. “Kohaku and Tamotsu, and maybe even Shido. You just have your ego and your disgusting personality.”

Shido has never seen Yuuki like this before. His tone was still the same as ever, but his face betrayed no emotion. It was perfectly flat, even more calm than Hiroko, who was trying hard to not frown. Shido was...thrilled by this different Yuuki.

Tamotsu had nothing but pride on his face. “If you cannot grasp what he said, allow me to clarify to get through your thick head.” He suddenly had a glaring expression. “Shut the fuck up and let the mature ones speak, you grown-up baby.”

Hiroko actually showed a snarl on her face, her eyes narrowing. “You...!” She seethed in a rare moment of pure anger.

Everything was put on hold once  _ his _ voice cut in. “Well, quiet down, all of you! We don’t want another murder before we solve the first one, right!” With nobody agreeing with him, Monokuma jumped into sight, along with the counselors.

“You all...” Tamotsu seethed.

“So, it finally happened,” the Athlete remarked. “One of you guys murdered one of your own, huh?”

“About time!” The Mechanic remarked. “I was getting terribly bored, and I didn’t want the game to end so quickly.”

“O-One of us?!” Yuji cried. “Don’t screw with us! It was obviously one of you jerks who did it!”

Haruki sniffled. “Y-Yea! Didn’t...Didn’t we all agree to die peacefully?”

“Technically, nobody agreed upon it out loud,” Asuka remarked.

“Well, I can’t say I would advocate for the counselors’ innocence, but...” Monokuma laughed. “Puhuhuhuhu...I had nothing to do with it! Somebody in this room murdered Takehiko Juzaburo, and it certainly wasn’t me! As the headmaster of this prestigious school, I have to uphold some moral ground.”

“School?!” Akio exclaimed. “Do not use colloquial terms like that! This is a dastardly hellhole, I say!”

“So it was a counselor, right?” Yoshie was struggling hard to keep his voice soft and calm.

Monokuma only huffed. “Why should I exactly tell you? That wouldn’t be fair for the blackened, now, would it? They killed to escape this school, as that are the rules, plain and simple!”

Despite Yuuki’s previous comforts, Shido was still lightheaded. All of this news and taunting from Monokuma was making it worse. Truly, one of his own classmates did a horrible deed no man could ever take back? One of the people in this room...was a murderer?

“Then isn’t that it?”

Everybody looked to who had spoken. Akihiko was standing there, not looking at anybody but Monokuma. His face was completely stoic, as if their friend hadn’t just been murdered.

“Oh?” Monokuma gestured for him to continue.

“Well, I mean...that’s it, right? The person who’s killed Takehiko can escape Monolith Valley now, right?” Akihiko tilted his head innocently.

“Nah,” Kohaku suddenly responded snarkily. “If that was true, there wouldn’t be all this class trial shiz.”

Shido was confused. “Class...trial?”

“More than a few rules in the Monobooks talked about a class trial,” Kohaku continued. “But the most important rule was...”

** _Rule #2:_ ** _ When a murder is committed in the academy, a class trial will be conducted. Participation in this trial is mandatory for all surviving students. _

Kohaku was right. The second rule of the Monobook, plain for anybody to see. It spoke of a trial, one that all students had to attend, once a murder has been discovered.

“And that’s not all,” she added. “The third and fourth rules are important in this, too.”

** _Rule #3: _ ** _ If the killer (here in after referred to as “the blackened”) is correctly identified during the class trial, only the blackened will be punished for their crime, and the innocent students (here in referred to as “the spotless” will continue to live within the summer school. _

** _Rule #4:_ ** _ If the blackened cannot be identified, or if a spotless is identified as the blackened, all students except the blackened will be punished for the crime, and the blackened will graduate from summer school and re-enter the outside world. _

So, it wasn’t as easy as killing, then just simply leaving...once you’ve killed, it’s do or die, with the price of every other student perishing. Somebody in here knew that they were to pay this price, and...killed anyways.

“So then?” Hiroko snapped, still a bit agitated from the pressure of everyone else. “Elaborate. What are these class trials, Headmaster?”

“Well, I am happy you’ve asked!” Monokuma responded. “Allow me to enlighten all of you!

“During these aforementioned class trials, you will debate amongst yourselves one question: who is the blackened among both of the combined groups of counselor and student? Of course, I will watch over this event, and the counselors will chime in whenever they have good advice. At the end of the trial, all of the spotless will vote on who they think the blackened is. If you pick correctly...the blackened will be punished for their crimes! But if the wrong student is picked, then all of the spotless will be punished, and the blackened gets to frolic on outta here, with their crimes heavy on their shoulders!”

Daiki growled, “You make it sound like either victory is bittersweet.”

“No need to point out the obvious!” Monokuma replied. “That’s the whole point! No matter what, the victorious group will receive such a glorious dose of despair...either one of losing faith in others, or condemning your faithful friends to punishment just so you could see the outside world again!”

“P-Punishment...” Shido almost whispered. “What is...exactly that?”

“Well, if you really want clarification...execution,” Monokuma plainly answered.

To be honest, why was Shido shocked anymore? This mutual killing game’s concept was sickening enough, so he should have gotten used to it by now. But instead, he was floored once again by another brutal twist.

“Exe...cution?” He whimpered. “So...if we find the blackened, they’ll be-?”

“Yup!” Monokuma cut him off. “They’ll be killed to pay for their deeds! And it’ll be the same for the spotless if you all choose incorrectly, so watch out!”

Kyou gulped. “Well...Whoever the blackened is, they would have probably wanted to know that beforehand!”

“Are you saying that you would have liked to know that?” Akio wondered. “That is a rather suspicious remark for an innocent student...”

“Wh-What?! No! I’m just saying...the culprit probably would have wanted to know exactly how serious this was!”

It was happening already. The knowledge that somebody here was a killer...it was fueling everybody with paranoia. One person was wary of the next. If this continued, it would be a snowballing effect of death and despair.

“H-Hey, guys?” Everyone looked at Daiki. “I’m, uh...not good with speeches, so I’ll make this short. I understand that we’re freaking out now.”

“No shit!” Yukio remarked. “One of us killed our friend! Our FRIEND!”

“Big brother, please calm down!” Yuji whined.

“I...I know, Yukio. And Takehiko didn’t deserve that. Frankly, none of us deserve to die. That’s why...” Daiki clenched his fist. His body began to radiate with determination. “That’s why we need to stick together! Only with our heads together can we figure out who killed our friend. And...hey! It may not even be one of us! It could be a counselor!”

“With the poison threat, how can we be sure of that?” Asuka questioned.

“Well...we don’t,” Daiki admitted. “But...Until we figure out the truth, we can’t let this despair get to us! We have to just...put that aside, alright?!”

Daiki was right. He was garbage at speeches.

“Heh...Eh heh...” Surprising everybody, Kyou was laughing a bit joyfully. “I don’t know why, but...That alleviated some of my worries, if only for a bit. Thank you, Daiki.”

Daiki immediately blushed harder than the last time Kyou complimented him. “Ah! Oh, um...y-you’re welcome!”

“Oh, get on with it, you lovebirds!” Monokuma barked. “You have a murder to solve!” As everybody was quickly flung back into the dark situation, he continued with, “Now, I realize that I’m dealing with a bunch of amateurs here when it comes to murder mysteries.”

“Not true!” Yukio called. “I read murder mystery stories and play horror games all the time! I am a game master, just as much as my bro!”

“Oh, shut up, you special snowflake!”

“Yes, Headmaster.” Yukio was probably trying not to get blown up again.

“Now, then, the counselors have prepared a very special tool to help in this case!”

The Mechanic suddenly revealed a black pad. “Ta-da! The Monokuma File, ladies and gentlemen! Please, please, no need for applause.”

The Yakuza groaned. “Just get on with it.”

“R-Right! Anyways, we already did the dirty work and investigated the body! Time of death, killing wound, everything! It’s all recorded in this here lil’ baby!”

“Time of death, huh?” Kohaku hummed. “The only way you would know that is...”

Monokuma smiled. “Puhuhuhu...That’s right! I was able to witness the murder on the cameras installed around the school!”

“So you indeed know the culprit’s identity,” Kohaku remarked. “Well, at least it’s a fair trial, then.”

“Then that’s it, counselors!” Monokuma chuckled. “We shall be leaving now!”

“Wait!” Yuuki suddenly said. “Do the counselors know the culprit, too?”

“Well...” The Yakuza said.

“We don’t,” the Princess answered. “Only Monokuma does.”

Kohaku shrugged. “Okay. Worth an ask.”

The Yakuza seemed intrigued by her questioning. “Right...”

With that, Monokuma abruptly vanished. The counselors took that as their cue to disappear as well. The fifteen students were left there, unsure of what to do with each other.

“What...what now?” Haruki asked in a worried tone.

“Well, that’s a duh-doy obvious answer,” Kohaku said. “We figure out who the blackened is. Who killed Takehiko.”

“We...we have to before the class trial, don’t we?” Keiko asked.

Yukio frowned. “Not exactly. Trials are for debating, right? Maybe we just gather evidence to state our cases, and just come to a conclusion.”

“Gathering evidence, huh?” Tamotsu questioned. “That means we have to be quick about this, before this class trial begins.”

Shido was shivering, again. He hated when he did it. He was berated constantly for his cowardice, but it would only make him do it more. He looked so weak and timid in front of everyone.

“Get a grip, peacock.” Hiroko had nothing better to do than to insult him. “We’re all in the same boat, so acting timid won’t net you any sympathy points.”

Shido swallowed hard, nodding. “G...Got it, ma’am.”

“Ma’am...” Hiroko smiled. “Yes, I like that. Call me ma’am from now on.” Another shiver went up Shido’s spine, as if he had done a terrible thing.

“Eh, is there no other choice?” Yuuki was back to his clueless self. “Do we have to do the trial?”

“The rules specifically say that attendance is mandatory,” Asuka said. “So I believe we do have to go, otherwise we will surely be punished. And that means getting every piece of evidence we can, or we will fail the trial and be executed for our mistake.”

Shido made a hiccup, and he realized he was crying. Why was he like this? Why was he so sensitive? Why was everything happening?

An arm found its way around his waist, and pulled him close. He was immediately pressed close to a warm body, a cape wrapping around his back and to the front, gripped into a ball by a gloved hand.

“Shido, I want you to stay with me during this investigation,” Tamotsu softly said. “You can help, but I want you to stick by me.”

Shido stared up at the taller man before pulling the cape closer to his smaller body. “Okay...”

He really just wanted to curl up into a ball and die. Just forget everything that’s happened. Maybe he could find Takrhiko in his dreams. Or better yet, maybe he could find Takehiko by...

No. No choice. He had to do at least something. It was the least he could do. And it would be something Takehiko would want him to do, right? Would he shove him around to get the job done? That’s what normal people do, with no regard to the other’s emotions. Yes, that’s a normal reaction to these things: convince others to do the work for you. That is how the world works.

“Right, then. First off, preserving the crime scene!” Kyou pointed. “Daiki, Asuka! You two are the strongest here! Please stand guard and make sure nobody tampers with any important evidence!”

Daiki was surprised. “Huh? Really?”

“That isn’t smart,” Asuka remarked. “This is hypothetical, but...what if one of us was the blackened?”

“Then there’s the other to stop you!” Kyou replied confidently. “And you wouldn’t be able to do anything without a witness!”

“He does have a point,” Daiki remarked. “It is important to preserve as much of the scene as possible.” He nodded. “Right, then! Where is it?”

Kohaku was the one holding the Monokuma File, so she looked up from it. “The storage room. Duh. Didn’t you hear Shido’s scream?”

Shido immediately blushed. “Uweh?! M-My-?!”

Keiko immediately fawned. “Aaaawww! Even your noises of alarm are sooo cuuuute~!”

“Right, then. Shall we be off?” Hiroko turned. “Any good detective work starts with the body, after all!”

“Y-Yes!” Shido tried to recover from his blushing, teary face. “St-Storage room!”

“Are...you sure?” Tamotsu asked. “You might faint again...”

“I-I...um...”

Somehow, Shido’s confidence began to pool back. Though he didn’t want to leave Tamotsu yet. He just...wanted to help. Everyone would probably deny the help from someone as lowlife as him, but all hands on deck were needed.

Shido tried to put on his best brave face. “T-Takehiko was my friend! I-I have to solve this...f-for him! Because...he wouldn’t appreciate it I-If I chickened out! If he was here...he’ll say... ‘Don’t effing quit on me, Shido! I-It’s my funeral, a-and I want you to be the judge of it!’ Th-That’s what he would say...right?” He looked unsure at the end of his small rant.

“...” Hiroko seemed pleasantly surprised. “Well, it’s nice to see you coming out of your shell, at least for a bit.”

“Very well, but I won’t leave your side.” Softly, Tamotsu ruffled Shido’s hair. “I do wish to protect those that need protecting, you know.”

This was for Takehiko. He had to do this. For his...for his  _ friend. _

For his first friend…

**INVESTIGATION START**


	11. Chapter 1: Investigation Period

Before Shido should do anything, it’s a good idea that he should investigate that Monokuma File. While it wasn’t really a pleasant thing to know what exactly killed his friend, it would only help in learning the identity of the culprit.

Taking the Monokuma File in his hands, he looked down at it. He realized that he was shaking, but he had to ignore that for the moment to read properly.

_ “The victim is Takehiko Juzaburo, the Ultimate Ninja. The time of death was around 11:00 PM. The body was discovered in the storage room. The cause of death was a stab wound directly into the chest. There are multiple other stab wounds to the body.” _

11 PM? But...that was the time he returned to the summer school after visiting Nagito! Did he...really miss Takehiko by that much? Could he have saved him if he had come back just a little bit earlier?

“You don’t look so good,” Tamotsu said. “You paused once you saw the Monokuma File.”

“S-Sorry for worrying you, but I-I...um...thought I prepared myself to see all of the information,” Shido lied. “I just got taken aback a bit.”

Tamotsu didn’t look like he had any suspicion or doubt. Instead, he nodded. “I understand that this is very tough for you, Shido. It’ll be alright.”

Takehiko...why was it you? Why did it have to be you? Why were you chosen to die? Whatever the reason was...it was awful, and selfish. And Shido...he had to find the killer! He had to avenge his friend!

**Monokuma File #1 was added to your Truth Bullets.**

“Sh-Should we go to his body now?” Shido asked Tamotsu.

Tamotsu placed a hand on Shido’s head, as if to reassure or pet him. “Only if you feel that you are up to it, Shido. You might faint again.”

“N-No!” Shido declared. “I...I have to do this! For him! It’s...the least I can do!”

Tamotsu smiled softly. “I admire your bravery, especially in a place like this.” He then nodded. “Very well. I shall escort you to the storage room. Please give me a signal if you are feeling faint, and I will pull you out immediately.”

The walk to the storage room felt way too long. Shido could feel the tension in the air, as if he could reach out and slice through it with a knife. The thickness almost forced him to slow down, prolonging the time between him now and seeing the body again in just a moment.

“Shido, you’re shaking,” Tamotsu said. “If you are scared, I shouldn’t make you do this...”

“No!” He declared again. “Takehiko would want me to!”

Tamotsu seemed like he doubted that, but decided to let it slide. “Alright, but the deal still stands. Signal me, and I’ll take you away from the body immediately.”

Inside of the storage room, a few people were already there. Both Daiki and Asuka were standing guard by the body, prepared to protect the evidence. A few others, Kohaku, Yoshie, and Akihiko, seemed to be in the midst of investigating.

As for the body itself...it was horrible. Takehiko’s eyes were wide open, emphasised by the tape on his face hiding his mouth. His hands and ankles tied by coarse rope, he had been stabbed repeatedly.

**Knife Stabs was added to your Truth Bullets.**

**Rope and Tape was added to your Truth Bullets.**

“I...” Shido muttered. “I think...maybe we should close his eyes.”

“Don’t,” Kohaku said with zero emotion. “You could disturb some vital evidence. While I would like to make him stop staring at me...it’ll be best to keep the body untouched except for a proper examination.”

Shido nodded, a bit scared by her stoic expression. “U-Um...right. Got it.”

Kohaku suddenly smiled. “Hee hee! Well, I was waiting for you to come by, actually! Then I could get your permission to put my hands all over his body!”

“Wh-Whaaaaat?!” Shido exclaimed.

“Relax! As an examination! I should have phrased that better, huh.”

Tamotsu frowned. “While I hate the idea...do what you must.”

“Thanks, bud!”

Completely unfazed, Kohaku dropped down onto her knees. Her hands flitted over Takehiko’s body expertly, examining every detail she could feast her eyes on. She was quite a total coroner.

While she did that, Shido noticed a knife laying by Takehiko. It was a knife with a red handle, and the blade was covered with blood. Judging by the close proximity...was it the killing weapon?

Shido observed the blade with his eyes. Small blade fashioned with a grip handle. Nobody could immediately kill with that. At most, you could only harm until they bleed out. It was a bit awkward to know that, but he was always fascinated with knives.

**Pocket Knife was added to your Truth Bullets.**

Though that wasn’t the only strange thing. The storage room was also full of random knick knacks that could easily be used in a murder. A prime example would be sheathed blades, like swords and katanas.

On the shelf was a long line of these blades, resting neatly in their cases. But at the end, and almost obscured, a sheath was missing its katana. It was even turned the other way to try and hide the missing blade. Shido wouldn’t have even noticed it if he wasn’t looking at the red bangles on each katana in a sort of distracted interest.

So why was the katana missing? Where did it even go?

**Katana Sheath was added to your Truth Bullets.**

On the wall, feet away from them, was perhaps the most chilling thing. On the wall was a message written entirely in blood, Takehiko’s blood. It followed as such: An A crossed out, a Y circled, and a whole line of a smear afterwards.

Tamotsu was definitely interested by it. “Was this a dying message?” He questioned.

“Well, Takehiko is the only source of blood in the room...” Shido pointed out.

“And yet, the placement and the part erased after the Y has me wondering...”

“E-Erased? There was...something else?”

“Probably removed by the killer, no doubt, one they noticed the dying message. And yet...something about it strikes me as odd.”

Tamotsu was right. Something was so off about it, and yet, Shido couldn’t figure out what it was. Was it the contents of the message? What was taken away by the killer? Or something more?

**Dying Message was added to your Truth Bullets.**

Shido glanced around, then noticed Yoshie muttering while crouching next to Takehiko. “Huh?”

Yoshie looked at him, standing up. “Eh? Oh, I’m sorry if I disturbed you.” He clasped his hands in a prayer position. “I was merely praying for Takehiko’s soul to pass on properly and safely to the afterlife.”

Tamotsu was surprised. “I never knew of you as a religious person.”

“Well, I take care not to inject it into every word I say,” Yoshie replied. “Otherwise, it would become annoying and redundant. And apart from that, I would rather I ask when we are friends of their standpoints instead of preaching to gods outright. That would make me look very odd in the eyes of others, and fail to earn me company.”

Tamotsu nodded. “Those are very good points. But before you ask, I believe in no god.”

“And I won’t attempt to change that. Everybody is entitled to believe their own views as long as they are not negative to other people.”

Shido decided to speak to Akihiko, then. “Hey, Akihiko? Wh-What are you doing here?”

Akihiko was actually very quiet. He was hurriedly nibbling on a granola bar he probably had been keeping in his pocket. His eyes darted from person to person, as if expecting somebody to draw a knife at him.

Tamotsu scowled. “Akihiko?”

Akihiko yelped. “It wasn’t my fault! I swear!”

Shido paused. “Wasn’t...your fault?”

Akihiko took another bite, and chewed while keeping his sight low. “Takehiko invited me and Yuuki out to talk...outside, in the hallway at night. I went, but he wasn’t there! I-It was more likely Yuuki than me, okay?!”

Takehiko...was planning to talk to two others? But...why would it be Yuuki and Akihiko? Why not him and Kohaku? They were the two that had gravitated into a sort of trio friendship in the first day or so. So why would Takehiko confide in something mysterious with two completely different people?

“Do you know what he wanted to talk about?” Tamotsu asked.

“N-No, he just said it was important. But I didn’t see him, so I thought...the meeting was cancelled. I checked it out at the designated meeting time: 11:00.”

“The time of the murder...” Shido realized.

Tamotsu nodded. “Right. That is all we needed to know. Thank you, Akihiko.”

“...”

**Akihiko’s Account was added to your Truth Bullets.**

Shido decided to talk to Daiki. “Y-You seem a bit troubled.”

“Who isn’t? A friend of ours is...dead.” Daiki then paused. “Though I will admit, I do have other things on my mind.”

“Like...what?”

“Um...It was you and Kohaku that found Takehiko, right? And the body discovery announcement played immediately after that?”

“Y-Yes. Where are you going with this?”

“I...thought it was three people that had to see the body, not two.”

Tamotsu frowned. “No...You’re right. The rules state it has to be three or more people who discover the body before the announcement plays. But it played when only two people discovered it...”

“M-Maybe it was a glitch?” Shido suggested. “Or...a way to call everybody together?”

Tamotsu seemed to be thinking, going quiet. He wasn't going to respond anyways, too lost in thought. So Shido just shut up and pushed the information aside for now.

**Body Discovery Announcement was added to your Truth Bullets.**

Kohaku tugged on Shido’s sleeve. “Hey, Shido! Quick question!”

Shido looked over. “Huh? Y-Yea?”

“Does Takehiko like rock bands?”

Does he like...rock bands? He seems like the kind of person who would, but...Still, it didn’t seem like a Takehiko thing. He was a proper person with a delinquent aura, that was all.

“No...” Shido answered. “I don’t think he does.”

“Then why is his shirt from a punk band?”

The Ultimate Dancer looked over. Instead of Takehiko’s usual shirt, it was black with a screaming and flaming skull on it. In bold white, the text read  _ “YOUR LIGHT FADES AWAY...” _ It certainly sounded punkish to Shido.

“Oh. He’s worn a new shirt?” Shido guessed.

“Yes...And it’s hiding a completely different wound.”

Shido was surprised. “A different...?”

“Yea. These visible wounds are small, like from a handheld knife. But if you lift the shirt like so...”

Takehiko’s bare chest was well-toned, and his six-pack was well visible. Shido would be blushing if not for the stab wounds crusting almost all of the skin with dried blood, and a huge stab wound right where his heart was.

“This one right here.” Kohaku pointed it out. “Where it is on his body, his shirt isn’t torn. Meaning this wound, probably the true killing wound, judging by the placement, was being hidden by the shirt.”

“But...why?” Shido asked. “Why do that?”

Kohaku suddenly grinned. “Hey, if I told you, the story wouldn’t be exciting! It’ll just be, ‘oh, it was this just guy, so quit dragging on the story’!”

A larger wound hidden by the shirt...it wasn’t made by a knife. But still, why exactly would it be hidden? Especially when somebody like Kohalu would have found it so easily...

**Hidden Injuries was added to your Truth Bullets.**

“I think that’s all we can scrounge up here, Shido,” Tamotsu said.

Shido nodded. “Yea...There doesn’t seem to be any other evidence.” He looked up. “B-But we do know to talk to Yuuki, and maybe...check out Takehiko’s closet?”

“Right...because Yuuki was involved in this meeting that never came to be. And that wound on his chest was dealt after he put on that shirt in particular. But...going into his room won’t happen. I’m not going to steal a dead person’s Monobook.”

“You don’t need to!” Startling everyone, Monokuma shot up out of nowhere.

“UWAAAAAAAAAAGH!” Akihiko screamed.

“M-Monokuma!” Yoshie exclaimed.

Tamotsu scowled, standing his ground. “What do you mean...we don’t have to?”

“I thought of this problem way before any of you did, so I came up with a beary good solution!” Monokuma chortled to himself. “When a student or counselor perishes...their room will be unlocked for all to see! They can never be locked again, not even if you take the dead person’s Monobook!”

“So anybody can waltz into Takehiko’s room as we speak?” Tamotsu guessed. “Then it is a prime place for evidence, almost as much as the murder scene.”

Kohaku’s interest was piqued. “Oooh! We get to go into a boy’s room! Oh, oh! Let’s sniff his clothes!”

Shido was offended. “K-Kohaku!”

“Kidding! Kid-ding! Learn to take a joke, please!”

“Do not joke about the dead like that, Kohaku,” Yoshie chided. “Their spirits would not take kindly to-”

“The spirits are on my side!” Kohaku retorted. “I am half-ghost, after all!”

“How would that even work?” Daiki questioned.

“I don’t know, cause it’s a lieee~!” Kohaku cheered. “I have no ghost protection!”

“Then stop joking about this!” Yoshie panicked.

The room unlocking immediately after a person’s death...so it could be accessed at any given moment beyond that. Such a terrifying fact, but possibly a valuable one.

**Unlocking Student Dorms was added to your Truth Bullets.**

It occurred to Shido that before this, he has never been in Takehiko’s room. It probably wouldn’t be any more different than his own room. But he did wonder what it was like, and how different it would be. Would there be more personal items, or was it a carbon copy?

When the three entered the unlocked room, at first glance, it was indeed just a normal room. The bed wasn’t made, and there was discarded food laying around, but that could be considered normal for a teen.

“Are we sure Takehiko was the Ultimate Ninja?” Kohaku remarked. “He seems quite untidy to me!”

“Yes, you can consider this...quite the improper room,” Tamotsu admitted. “But we’re here to look for any clues to a murder mystery, not critique his living style.”

Kohaku saluted. “Righty-o, boss!”

Again, on an initial glance, there was nothing too suspicious. But yet, something about the room bothered Shido. There were a few things a bit too amiss to be a coincidence.

He immediately noticed something lying on the dresser. It was a katana without any kind of sheath. It was perfectly clean, and laid peacefully on the dresser.

“Takehiko owns a katana...?” Shido wondered.

Tamotsu frowned. “He definitely did not come in with that. And the only way to retrieve katanas of any kind is from the storage room.”

Shido immediately remembered something. “R-Right! There was a katana sheath missing its blade in the storage room!”

“Well then that gets us another question!” Kohaku retorted. “If Takehiko took the sword, why did he leave the sheath behind?”

Kohaku brought up a significantly good question there. The sheaths didn’t look to be heavy at all, and could easily be carried with one hand. And plus, the blades were easy to cut yourself on. So why leave the protection behind? Was Takehiko...planning something?

**Black Katana was added to your Truth Bullets.**

Tamotsu was searching around in the closet. “Damn...”

“No luck on the shirts?” Kohaku guessed.

“No. His normal shirt is nowhere in sight amongst these clothes. But I do realize now why he only wore that shirt. All of these are gaudy punk shirts...what delinquent did Monokuma take Takehiko for?”

“Th-Then that would explain the strange shirt, if it was from this room...” Shido pointed out. “So then...the killer c-came here after the murder?”

“But how did they know...?” Tamotsu questioned quietly to himself.

“Eh? What do you mean?” Kohaku asked.

“It’s a topic I’ll bring up in the class trial,” he answered. “But at least we’ve confirmed that Takehiko’s shirt was mysteriously swapped in between the larger stab wound and the smaller stab wounds.”

**Takehiko’s Shirt Swap was added to your Truth Bullets.**

During the search, Shido noticed the trash can. It wouldn’t hurt to take a peek, would it? He leaned over to stare inside it.

There wasn’t anything remotely close to trash inside. Instead, there was a handful of multiple pieces of rope. All of them were cut quite cleanly, but discarded anyways.

“Why is there rope...?” Shido wondered. “And why here of all places?”

**Cut Rope was added to your Truth Bullets.**

“I shall be off, then!” Kohaku smiled.

Tamotsu was surprised. “Huh? You’re leaving?”

“I think we’ve learned all we can from Takehiko’s room. It’s not like this place was gonna be a goldmine of truth!” The Ultimate Illusionist marched on out, leaving both boys behind.

“She worries me,” Tamotsu admitted.

Shido was surprised. “W-Worried?”

“Well...It’s like she knows more than she lets on. That’s what terrifies me about her.”

“Y-You aren’t alone,” Shido admitted. “She’s a bit scary to me, as well. It’s just...she knows so much, and teases me about so little information.”

“Everything scares you,” Tamotsu snarked.

Shido blushed. “N-Not everything...”

Stepping outside, Shido’s eyes immediately drifted to a figure in the hall. He was sitting against the wall, holding something in one hand and placing a candy in his mouth with the other. He actually seemed indifferent to everything happening.

“Y-Yakuza?” Shido was surprised.

The Yakuza quickly put back on his mouth mask. “‘Ey, kid,” he greeted warmly. “I would say good mornin’, but...It’s been anythin’ but good, yea?”

“What are you doing out here?” Tamotsu asked.

“I was actually lookin’ for Shido,” the Yakuza answered. “I wanted ta apologize.”

Shido was surprised. “Eh? Apologize?”

“Yea. I’m sorry fer Takehiko’s death. Maybe if...we had thought of somethin’ else, he could still be here.”

Tamotsu glared. “I’m sorry? ‘We’?”

“Well, it’s nothing. Anyways...I also wanted ta give you some information that would be crucial to this case.”

Shido blinked. The counselor, aligned with Monokuma, was going to help him? “Um...sure?”

“Nightly, we have a guard cycle. The murder happened when it was the Princess’s turn ta watch over you kiddies.”

Tamotsu paused, as if trying to figure out what was the point of that. “Wh...What?”

“That’s all. I’m rootin’ fer ya, Shido. I know ya got it in ya to find the blackened.”

“W-Wait!” Shido stopped the Yakuza before he walked off. “You, um...have so much apparent faith in me. But why?”

“Hey, it’s what a counselor’s s’posed ta do, ya know?” The Yakuza shrugged. “Invigorate the students. Make ‘em feel like they can do anythin’.” Without another word, he headed off down the hall, leaving the two of them to stand there.

“He keeps singling out students, as if choosing the best...” Tamotsu grimaced. “And yet, I would take him over any other counselor, any day.”

**Counselor Guard Cycle was added to your Truth Bullets.**

To wrap up the investigation, they had to seek out the last person to question. The other person that Takehiko had invited to this mysterious meeting, Yuuki Shunsho.

Yuuki was still in the main hall. He seemed eerily unfazed by everything that has happened so far. He still had that childlike and almost confused smile on his face, as if it were a mask.

“Yuuki?” Shido asked.

“Eh? Shido?” Yuuki brightened. “Shido! Nice to see you!”

“Um...I-It’s good to see you too. Listen, um...I need to ask you something.”

“Hey-hey! Eh, if it’s about investigating, I’m a no go. I’m a complete dumb brainer when it comes to these things.”

“No, it isn’t. It’s about...a meeting you were invited to. D-Do you remember?”

“Eh? A meeting? Hmmmph...” Yuuki’s face lit up. “Ah, right! Takehiko asked me and Akihiko via note to meet him in the hallway. He said it was really, seriously important! Eh...I didn’t go!”

Tamotsu frowned. “Even when Takehiko emphasised the ‘important’ part?”

“Eh, I didn’t see the positives in going!” Yuuki complained. “Besides, I was tired! I went to bed and just slept in. And that’s when I heard the body discovery announcement in the morning! Eh, I almost tripped on my sheets getting up! That would have hurt!”

“So you didn’t go at all?” Tamotsu asked. “And you are definite?”

“Eh, don’t I sound like it?” Yuuki pouted.

“S-Sorry, it’s just...a bit odd and suspicious that you simply slept it off.”

Instead of treating it as if his life wasn’t being threatened, Yuuki sighed like a tired child. “But I diiiiiid...”

**Yuuki’s Account was added to your Truth Bullets.**

_ Ding dong, ding dong... _

_ “Ooooh, I’m getting bored of waiting! I’ve given you all enough time, so let’s move on to the main event! Please proceed outside to board the bus towards our class trial location!” _

A bus to the class trial? But how could that be? The fences blocked off the only road throughout Monolith Valley, so which way were they going to progress forward? But if it was the way to this class trial, he will have to proceed with it.

Outside of the school, most of the other students had already gathered. While a few were dead silent, others were looking either nervous or angry.

“A class trial?” Asuka seethed. “I want to punch that bear right in the kisser, free of consequences!”

“Don’t we all...” Yukio remarked.

Hiroko smiled. “Ah, that will be our bus, correct?”

Everybody look to see a familiar bus roll up. It was the exact same bus that they had came in on! But where exactly would they go? And where was it stashed away after the initial dropoff to the summer school?

Startling a few, the speakers on the bus shot to life.  _ “Ahem! This is your headmaster speaking! Please board the bus so we can get this class trial rolling ahead! Oh, I can’t wait for the results! Can you?” _

“Then I guess we’re off?” Keiko questioned to everybody else.

Akio swallowed. “I hope everybody has prepared themselves.”

Kohaku only smiled. “Relax, people! I’m sure the killer’s identity is ripe and waiting to be picked so we can reveal the cause of Takehiko’s death!” She paused. “And get that cure to the poison. That’ll be nice.”

Right. The thrill of the day actually made Shido forget about the poison in his veins. By the end of the night ahead, he, along with multiple others, will be dead. And all they had to do was solve Takehiko’s murder to receive the antidote.

One by one, everybody began to step onto the bus. Shido was in dead last, head hanging low to avoid contact with everybody else. And like the shy idiot he was, he stuffed himself in the back, away from everybody else.

He noticed that the windows were different. He couldn’t see out of them from how heavily tinted they were. Did Monokuma really change the windows in the time he had? Why is Shido even questioning this anymore?

A few moments later, the bus began to move. Unlike the last ride, everybody was completely silent and listening to the bus move along the road. Nobody wanted to speak to break this silence.

Shido had to swallow down a lump welling up in his throat. What if they failed? What if nobody could solve the murder? Would they just be locked up until the poison kicked in, or just plain executed? What would be their individual executions, if so? What would be  _ his? _

In his own worry, he didn’t realize the bus had stopped, and people were disembarking. Hurrying onto his heels, he rushed after them, shoving his hands into his armpits under his poncho. He wasn’t even at the trial yet, and sweat was already forming on his face.

Outside, Shido immediately stepped into the grass outside. It reached his knees from how tall it was, and multiple patches of wildflowers were scattered. In front of them was a circle of podiums, and five mini thrones of varying height and one large throne towered over the circle. Behind the students was the bus, sitting on the line dirt road that has taken them here.

Monokuma and the counselors sat in the thrones. While Monokuma claimed the largest overhanging seat, the Yakuza was ironically in the smallest. Though it did make sense for the Princess to be in the second-largest.

“There you all are!” Monokuma cheered. “We’ve been waiting for you!”

“We set up this whole little show!” The Mechanic crowed. “It’s gonna be a blast of the ages!”

“It’s quite like a cozy little courtroom, isn’t it?” Hope remarked blandly.

“Anyways, may you all please take your stands!” The Princess called. “Your names will be on each podium! Hope to it! Hurry up!”

The students scattered amongst the small clearing area. In a surge, they stepped up onto their podium, elevating them up a tiny few inches.

Everybody could see each other’s faces, clear as day. Everybody had varying levels of paranoia settling deep within their gut. Some of it was visible, and some were experts at hiding it.

And so, the true game began to click into motion. The snakes of truths and the eyes of lies watched over, to see what laid in trust and betrayal.


	12. Chapter 1: 1st Class Trial-1

**THE CLASS TRIAL OF LIFE AND DEATH BEGINS...AND A STRANGE MEETING SEEMS TO BLAME THE INNOCENTS OF THE CRIME. FATE IS NOW IN THE HANDS OF THE DEBATERS. WILL IT BE DISCOVERED WHO KILLED TAKEHIKO JUZABURO?**

**Truth Bullets: 15/15**

**Monokuma File #1 [Counselor File #1]: The victim is Takehiko Juzaburo, the Ultimate Ninja. The time of death was around 11:00 PM. The body was discovered in the storage room. The cause of death was a stab wound directly into the chest. There are multiple other stab wounds to the body.**

**Knife Stabs [Puncture Wounds]: Multiple knife wounds were in Takehiko’s chest and stomach area. The blood from them was visible on Takehiko’s shirt.**

**Rope and Tape [Lack of Rope and Tape]: Takehiko’s body had been tied up with rope and tape was over his mouth. **

**Pocket Knife [Kitchen Knife]: A pocket knife with a red handle was found near the victim’s body. It was determined it was the cause of Takehiko’s visible stab wounds.**

**Katana Sheath [Completed Katana Set]: There are multiple weapons in the back of the storage room. One of these kinds of weapons is a katana. There are multiple katanas coupled with sheaths lined up on stands in the back of the room. One sheath has its katana missing.**

**Dying Message [Post-Mortem Message]: Takehiko had apparently left a dying message on one of the walls. The message was on the right wall of the storage room, a few feet away from the corpse. It is written as a crossed-out A and a circled Y. There seemed to have been more, but it was cleaned away to only leave a smear.**

**Akihiko’s Account [Akihiko’s Lie]: Takehiko had invited both Yuuki and Akihiko outside for a meeting in the hallway of the student dorms. The designated meeting time, 11:00 PM, was the time of the murder. Akihiko had gone to meet with him, but neither Takehiko nor Yuuki were there.**

**Body Discovery Announcement [Third Person Present]: The body discovery announcement only plays when three people discover a body. However, only Kohaku and Shido had seen the body before it played, making only two people.**

**Hidden Injuries [Visible Injuries]: Takehiko had a hidden injury on his chest under his shirt. It is too large and thin of a wound to be a knife stab.**

**Unlocking Student Dorms [Locking Student Dorms]: After a student’s death, their dorm automatically unlocks. It can never be locked again. It can be presumed that it is the same for the counselors’ rooms.**

**Black Katana [White Katana]: A black katana was found in Takehiko’s room. It is completely shined and spotless, the owner having taken great care in cleaning and keeping it in prime condition. It is presumed to be the katana to the missing sheath. It is unknown why the sheath was left behind, unless something was planned for the katana to have to be used on short notice.**

**Takehiko’s Shirt Swap [Takehiko’s Constant Clothing]: Sometime between the larger stab wound and the smaller stab wounds, Takehiko’s shirt was swapped to hide the larger wound.**

**Cut Rope [Uncut Rope] :** **Cut pieces of rope were found in Takehiko’s trash can.**

**Counselor Guard Cycle [Counselor Not Watching]: Every night, the counselors are on a cycle of watching over the students. When the murder took place, the Princess was on duty.**

**Yuuki’s Account [Yuuki’s Lie]: Yuuki remembers being invited to the meeting at night. The designated meeting times was at 11:10. However, he decided to not go at all, and claims he remained in his room the entire night.**

**Monokuma:** Let’s begin with a basic explanation of the class trial! So, your votes will determine the results! If you can figure out whodunnit, then only they will receive punishment! But if you pick the wrong one...Then I’ll punish everyone besides the blackened, and the one who decieved everyone else will graduate! Besides the class trial rules...That’s all there is to it! Now let’s get this show on the road, students!

**Akio:** Getting this show on the road...where do we even start?

**Tamotsu: ** Well, before that, I want to question a few things. Like that.

_ The camera focuses on a podium with Takehiko’s crossed-out face on it. _

**Tamotsu: ** I know I shouldn’t be shocked by your antics anymore, but...what is that?

**Monokuma: ** I thought of it as too rude to not include our dear friends in the trials they miss! Even if they’re dead! So I thought of a nice setup to keep them around, no matter what!

**Yoshie:** Such a mockery to their spirits...

**Tamotsu: ** I also have a different question. Can there be accomplices in this?

**Hiroko: ** That is a good question. Is this a relationship that could benefit?

**Monokuma: ** Well, I’ll be exact. Yes, there can be accomplices in cases. However, the accomplices will not benefit from the murder. Only the blackened would be able to escape.

**Daiki: ** An alliance that would only benefit one side...I don’t think anybody would like that kind of partnership.

**Kohaku:** Well, if we are going to start off now, should we begin by discussing what we all know about the case? That would be a good point for anyone unfamiliar with the whole debating shiz.

**Shido: ** _ So it all begins. This trial to solve Takehiko’s murder...one of us here has killed a close friend. And unless we do not debate here and now, that killer will get away with what they have done! That must not happen...so I must push my feelings aside and make myself useful. My allies depend on it! _

**The Nonstop Debate is about to begin. As you participate in class trials, you will learn of the main minigame, Nonstop Debate. In the minigame, characters speak to each other, one by one, and the discussion advances automatically. In the discussion, there will be ** **weak points** ** said by the characters. You will be given a set number of ** **Truth Bullets** ** relevant to this debate to be loaded into your ** **Truth Cylinder** **. Once you find a weak point that matches up, fire your Truth Bullet to destroy it with your logic! Well, that’s all for now! Happy debating!**

_ State your case! _

**Truth Bullets** :

**Rope and Tape [Lack of Rope and Tape]**

**Tamotsu: ** The victim of this particular case was our friend, Takehiko.

**Tamotsu: ** He was killed by multiple stabs to the chest.

**Kohaku:** He was murdered in the storage room.

**Daiki: ** But he was the Ultimate Ninja, right?

**Daiki:** I mean,  he should have fought back!

** _Shido: _ ** _ Wait...something I know contradicts that statement. I need to clarify Daiki’s reasoning. _

he should have fought back \-  **Rope and Tape**

** _Shido:_ ** _ No, that’s wrong! _

_ Break!! _

**Shido:** Well...I would agree with you, Daiki. But however...it’s not the question that Takehiko was capable of fighting back. It’s more...was he given a chance at all? We found his body tied up, and tape over his mouth. It’s likely that he was tied and gagged as soon as possible, in order for him to be unable to fight back.

**Daiki:** Oh. That...does make sense.

**Kyou:** So the killer took Takehiko by surprise, tied him up, and killed him in the storage room!

**Yukio:** Why the storage room, of all places? Why was Takehiko in there?

**Kohaku:** Well, Takehiko was outside at night, but he wasn’t in the storage room. Apparently, he had organized a meeting between him, Akihiko, and Yuuki. I guess it had to have been that he was waiting in the hallway that he was attacked and dragged away.

**Yukio: ** But then the killer had to be really strong to carry him to the storage room! I’m not callin’ Takehiko fat, but he’s definitely a heavy person.

**Keiko:** And the killer would have to be really, really quiet in order to not disturb everyone else in their dorms.

**Tamotsu:** Well, they wouldn’t have to be. There’s a factor to all of our rooms that means that being quiet isn’t exactly priority one. You know what I mean, Shido?

**Shido: ** _ I think I remember...all of our rooms have this same property... _

**>>Sound-proof walls**

>>Easy to wash furniture

>>Locking doors

** _Shido: _ ** _ I got it! _

**Shido: ** All of our rooms have sound-proof walls, r-right? That means...anything can happen outside in the halls, or...in any other room, and nobody would hear it.

**Tamotsu: ** So there was no reason to be quiet. They could have been as loud as they wanted, as long as they managed to get him away in time before the meeting, and kept the struggle to a minimum to avoid any suspicious damage to the room.

**Yuji: ** Then we already have our suspects! It was either Akihiko or Yuuki, because they knew of the meeting!

**Hiroko: ** Not to mention that Akihiko is strong, as the Ultimate Knight...

**Akihiko: ** H-Heeeey! D-Don’t blame me, blame Yuuki!

**Yuuki: ** E-Eeeeh?! Why meeee?!

**Akihiko: ** Well, if I was the murderer, me admitting to going to the meeting would be immediately damning! However, you just claim that you went to sleep, even when you knew that the meeting was important!

**Yuuki: ** That, uh...eh, that does sound suspicious, when you think about it. But it ain’t me! I’m a red herring!

**Kohaku: ** Let’s put aside the accusing for now, so we don’t get sidetracked into just pointing fingers at one another without solid evidence.

**Kyou: ** Kohaku is right. Let’s continue debating the circumstances of the murder, instead. So let’s say that Takehiko was dragged to the storage room, tied and gagged. What was the murder weapon that killed him?

**Shido: ** _ The murder weapon...so far, all evidence points to that one weapon found... _

**Monokuma File #1**

**Knife Stabs**

**Rope and Tape**

**>>Pocket Knife **

**Katana Sheath**

**Dying Message**

**Akihiko’s Account**

**Body Discovery Announcement**

**Hidden Injuries**

**Unlocking Student Dorms**

**Black Katana**

**Takehiko’s Shirt Swap**

**Cut Rope**

**Counselor Guard Cycle**

**Yuuki’s Account**

** _Shido: _ ** _ Could it be this? _

**Shido: ** It was probably the pocket knife that we found next to Takehiko’s body.

**Keiko: ** And why do you include the word ‘probably’?

**Shido: ** W-Well, to be honest...there’s a bit of a mystery surrounding Takehiko’s body that kind of confuses me on what the true murder weapon is. U-Until we solve it, we have to-

** _Yuji:_ ** _ Your reasoning is wack! _

**Yuji: ** No, it was definitely the pocket knife! You’re just being all funny in the head!

**Shido: ** Y-Yuji, please do not lash out like this! W-We have to talk calmly and rationally!

**Yuji: ** Let’s not talk calmly when we’re mixing up the truth with lies! I’ll strike you down with my words of reality! Try and keep up to make this fun, alright?

**It seems that a fellow classmate has contradicted your arguments. Now, you will enter Rebuttal Showdown, where you will face off against this classmate in a one-on-one. You will be given ** **Truth Knives** ** relevant to this argument. With any knife, you can cut in half all of the words your opponent throws at you. However, when weak points appear, you must cut them with the corresponding Truth Knife, unless you wish to lose progress. Well, that’s all! Happy slashing!**

** _Rebuttal Showdown Start!_ **

**Truth Knives:**

**Hidden Injuries [Visible Injuries]**

**Yuji:** So you say that the pocket knife wasn’t the murder weapon?

**Yuji:** But it’s got blood on it and everything!

**Yuji: ** I don’t really know what’s going on in your mind...

**Yuji: ** But that’s mighty suspicious to me!

**Yuji: ** I mean, why would blood be on a misleading weapon, huh?

_ Advance! _

**Shido: ** M-Maybe the pocket knife is a misleading weapon.

**Shido: ** Th-Though I won’t deny that most of the wounds on Takehiko match up to the knife.

**Yuji: ** Ah-ha! So I am right!

**Yuji: ** All of the wounds match up , you said it yourself!

**Yuji: ** So that’s why the pocket knife is the murder weapon!

**Yuji: ** It’s the only possibility we got!

** _Shido: _ ** _ Yuji seems to have interpreted my words incorrectly. I guess he never knew about this one detail, so I need to reveal it! _

All of the wounds match up \-  **Hidden Injuries**

** _Shido:_ ** _ I’ll cut your argument in half! _

_ Break!! _

**Shido: ** O-Oh! You didn’t know this?

**Yuji: ** Eh? Know what?

**Shido: ** A hidden injury was found underneath Takehiko’s shirt, exactly where the heart is. It was too large and thin to be from a knife wound. Th-That’s why Kohaku and I think the pocket knife was a false lead.

**Kohaku: ** Though I will give the culprit the benefit of the doubt. They tried, really! But something like the pocket knife can’t really murder a person, only hurt.

**Daiki: ** But what if Takehiko bled out?

**Tamotsu: ** Then there would be much more blood visible on the body, or more exactly, the areas of the knife stabs. A lot of his blood seems to have already spilled out of a different wound, most likely the one hidden under his shirt.

**Kohaku: ** That would explain the lack of blood flowing out from the knife stabs. Only enough came out to be visible on the shirt. The rest of the blood came from somewhere else, as there was no trail from the knife stabs going down.

**Yukio:** That means you might not want to burst out like that again anytime soon, Yuji.

**Yuji: ** O...Okay. Sorry, Shido. Looks like I was wrong.

**Shido: ** I-It’s okay! Really!

**Yukio: ** But before we move away from the subject of the pocket knife, I want to ask a question. Where did it come from?

**Kyou: ** Obviously, from the storage room.

**Yukio: ** Actually, no. Since Monokuma took the pocket knife I always carried around when we got here, I wanted to find a new one, or at least where he was keepin’ mine. I couldn’t find any sort of pocket knife in the storage room.

**Asuka: ** And the one used in the murder wasn’t yours?

**Yuji: ** Definitely not. Yukio’s pocket knife had a dark brown handle. And mine had a golden one. Neither of us had a pocket knife with a red handle.

**Akihiko: ** Actually, I can answer this! I thought everyone knew about this, so I was a bit confused on why Yukio asked that question.

**Akio: ** Well, what is it?

**Akihiko: ** On the first day here, I found a sealed box in the back of my closet. Inside were a wide variety of tools, including one single pocket knife. So the culprit probably just used their own.

**Hiroko: ** And why do you say that, knowing you can be damning yourself?

**Akihiko: ** Because I have mine on me right now.

_ Akihiko shows a pocket knife with a white handle. _

**Akihiko: ** This is the pocket knife I took from my box. And as you can see, it has a white handle. The one with the red handle is not mine!

**Asuka: ** And how do we know you’re not lying on how many pocket knives are in the boxes?

**Tamotsu: ** I can support him. I found my box as well. Each one contains only one pocket knife.

**Hiroko: ** Well then, the blame shifts back to Yuuki.

**Yuuki: ** Eh?! Me again?!

**Asuka: ** Well, can you prove that the knife at the murder scene was not yours?

**Yuuki: ** W-Well, can YOU prove it’s not yours?!

**Asuka: ** I’m taking that as a no, you know.

**Shido: ** W-Well, we shouldn’t point fingers-

**Hiroko: ** Shut up, peacock.

**Shido: ** Nngh...!

**Tamotsu: ** And so we go back to pointing fingers, hm? Well, I think we’ll have to divert everyone’s views just to keep this trial at least going somewhere.

**Sometimes, when class trials get stuck, you’ll have to resort to dirty measures just to keep the debate going in a general direction. Sometimes, you will have to transform ** **Truth Bullets** ** into ** **Lie Bullets** **. With these bullets, you can manipulate the class trial into your board game of chess. It may be a cheap move, but sometimes, it’s the only option! Good luck lying!**

_ State your case! _

**Truth Bullets:**

**Pocket Knife [Kitchen Knife]**

**Yuuki: ** I’m telling you! That knife isn’t mine!

**Yuuki: ** I’m totally being framed! Eh, this is so unfair!

**Hiroko: ** At this point, it’s too blatantly obvious.

**Hiroko: ** That pocket knife belongs to you, doesn’t it?

**Kyou: ** The knife  couldn’t come from anywhere else except the boxes!

**Yuuki: ** Stop ganging up on me! It isn’t from me!

**Kohaku: ** Hm...This is a bit of a conundrum.

** _Shido:_ ** _ If I don’t do anything, we will be executed just over a pocket knife. I didn’t want to resort to this, but... _

couldn’t come from anywhere else \-  **Kitchen Knife**

** _Shido: _ ** _ I’ll make my own truth! _

_ Break!! _

**Shido: ** Wait...Kohaku. We were in the kitchen before we found Takehiko’s body, right?

**Kohaku: ** Uh-huh...Where are we heading with this?

**Shido: ** There’s all kinds of knives in the kitchen, right?

**Kohaku: ** Yup! Long knives, thin knives, red knives, blue knives! ...Oh. I see what you’re saying.

**Shido: ** So you did see knives like the knife we found?

**Kohaku: ** There is a certain possibility that I may or may not!

**Asuka: ** Did you...seriously mistake a kitchen knife for a pocket knife.

**Kohaku: ** They look the same, they’re both small enough to cut veggies, I ain’t an expert on that shiz!

**Shido: ** W-Well, some kitchen knives are stylized to cut vegetables instead of meat. They are usually smaller than your standard kitchen knife, and their handles can come in various colors. So if you’re really not a knife expert, you could mistake it as just some stylish knife, like a pocket one! Especially if it isn’t in the kitchen for a good comparison!

**Kohaku: ** Alright then. I’m leaving the knife analysis to you next time.

**Yukio: ** You seem to have quite the knife fetish.

**Shido: ** Kn-Knife...fetish?! W-Well, don’t put it like that! I-I just...have a fascination, that’s all.

**Daiki: ** So what exactly does this mean?

**Yuuki: ** Ha! It means that since it’s not a pocket knife, I’m not immediately the culprit!

**Hiroko: ** Whatever. Kitchen, pocket, it’s a knife. We can agree that it is a knife. I don’t care.

**Asuka: ** But it means anyone could have gotten the knife, which means Akihiko is no longer clear of the murder.

**Akihiko: ** What?! Come on!

**Yoshie: ** Still, until we reach a breakthrough, Akihiko and Yuuki are our best chances for culprits.

**Keiko: ** Oh, come ooooon! Let’s just keep talking about the murder circumstances, like Kohaku keeps saying!

**Yuji: ** But we still have the culprit right here! We can’t let this go!

**Tamotsu: ** Everybody, if we can just calm down...!

** _Shido: _ ** _ Everybody’s letting their emotions get to them. If we cannot settle down, the trial can’t progress at all! I need to break through...break through this panic debate! _

**When everybody’s emotions rise to a high in class trials, they will come crashing down in a Mass Panic Debate. Three conversations will be going on at once, with multiple weak points buried in the mass chaos. Think of it as a Nonstop Debate, but more hectic. It’s up to you to find the correct weak point with the correct Truth Bullet. And also, from now on, you will be having more than one weak point and more than one Truth Bullet in normal Nonstop Debates. Happy panicking!**

** _MASS PANIC DEBATE!_ **

**Truth Bullets:**

**Counselor Guard Cycle**

**Akihiko’s Account**

**Yuuki’s Account**

**Yuuki: ** Eh, this is all getting confusing.../ **Akihiko: ** So the killer was Yuuki after all?/ **Kyou: ** Anyone else could have taken Takehiko!

**Yuuki: ** Is Akihiko the killer or not?/ **Tamotsu: ** It’s a possibility, but not definite./ **Kyou: ** All they needed was time and luck!

**Hiroko: ** It could very well be you, Yuuki./ **Kohaku: ** Though you can be the culprit, Akihiko!/ **Daiki: ** They also needed knowledge of the meeting.

**Hiroko: ** After all,  nobody else knew of the meeting. / **Akihiko: ** What?! I’m not taking that sitting down!/ **Keiko: ** Though they could have gotten extremely lucky!

**Yuuki: ** Oh, come on! Not this again!/ **Akihiko: ** It’s not me! It’s Yuuki! / **Yoshie: ** That is much too unlikely to be the case, Keiko...

** _Shido: _ ** _ Everybody is talking over each other...It’s impossible to hear each conversation clearly. And yet, did I hear something contradicting what I know in there? _

nobody else knew of the meeting. \-  **Counselor Guard Cycle**

** _Shido:_ ** _ No, that’s wrong!! _

_ Break!! _

**Shido: ** Thank you, Yakuza. We might not be able to progress if you didn’t tell me this.

**Monokuma: ** The Yakuza gave you evidence? What kind?

**Shido: ** I was told that every night, there’s a guard cycle of the counselors. No matter what, at least one counselor knows everything that’s going on in Monolith Valley! Am I right, Monokuma?

**Monokuma: ** Correct! Either I or at least one counselor watches over the cameras, day and night! Even your hardworking headmaster needs a break from work, you know!

**Shido: ** So then at least one counselor knew of the meeting, right?

**Hiroko: ** Yakuza, if you are compliant in answering, which counselor knew of the meeting?

**Yakuza: ** ...

**Hiroko: ** Quiet...I see. So now, this mysterious counselor has also become a suspect.

**Tamotsu: ** And now, the only thing we can do at the moment is press forward. We have to figure out what happened during the murder in order to conclude the identity of the culprit!

** _Shido: _ ** _ Yes...It’s all beginning to come together! We may not have gotten that far per say, but we’re still making progress! Takehiko was taken from the meeting spot, and was killed in the storage room, that’s for sure. We must now figure out the rest of the mystery! _


	13. Chapter 1: 1st Class Trial-2

**Kyou: ** So three culprits lay in front of us. It’s up to us to discern who it was!

**Haruki: ** So where do we go from here? What’s next?

**Kohaku: ** I want to talk about the condition we found Takehiko’s body in. There’s a lot of weird things going on there.

**Tamotsu: ** There’s definitely a part I personally wish to focus on. The injury hidden underneath his shirt. Whatever it was dealt by, I believe whatever made the injury is the true murder weapon instead of the knife.

**Yukio: ** Aw, man! This is gettin’ my blood pumped! Let’s do this!

**Sometimes, instead of blasting apart other arguments in Nonstop Debates, you will find yourself agreeing with one. When that happens, their text will show in ** **blue** **. You will still shoot their argument with a Truth Bullet, but it won’t be you refuting them. Well, that’s all! Happy consenting!**

_ State your case! _

**Truth Bullets:**

**Takehiko’s Shirt Swap**

**Black Katana**

**Tamotsu: ** The weapon that caused the wound under Takehiko’s shirt...

**Tamotsu: ** What exactly was it?

**Haruki: ** It apparently is a longer and thinner wound than a knife...

**Haruki: ** Could it be a  kitchen utensil ?

**Akio: ** It could possibly…

**Akio: ** But it’s more likely  something meant to be a weapon .

**Daiki: ** Was it maybe  some sort of tool ?

**Yuji: ** Well, this is going nowhere...

** _Shido: _ ** _ What was the weapon that apparently killed Takehiko? I think I know what it is, and that one person is more correct than they think. _

something meant to be a weapon \-  **Black Katana**

** _Shido: _ ** _ Your logic is irrefutable! _

_ Consent! _

**Shido: ** Akio, I think you’re right.

**Akio: ** Huh? M-Me?

**Shido: ** I-I may be jumping to conclusions here, but there was something suspicious about Takehiko’s room. Do you guys remember?

**Tamotsu: ** A single black katana was found without its sheath in his room. It was perfectly clean, but it could have just been washed.

**Hiroko: ** Right. I thought the water shut off at nighttime, but I found out it didn’t. So washing off blood can happen at any time.

**Asuka: ** The weapon could leave a long and thin gash in somebody if stabbed. That must be where the hidden injury came from, if so.

**Yuji: ** Okay, so the katana is the murder weapon. Big whoop. What can that do to help us find the culprit?

**Keiko: ** And if the katana was the murder weapon...why? Takehiko was trained with katanas and stuff, as the Ultimate Ninja, right? Was it just a fit of irony?

**Tamotsu: ** No...In fact, I think you just answered my question on why it was the katana in particular that was the murder weapon.

**Kyou: ** What exactly are you saying?

**Tamotsu: ** What if...and this is just a theory, so stick with me...what if the victim brought the weapon into the murder?

** _Shido: _ ** _ ...What? _

**Haruki: ** Are you saying the victim was armed with the katana?

**Tamotsu: ** Well, I see no reason why a katana would be brought into the fight if a knife would have done the job well enough. It’s probably not coincidental that a katana, a speciality of ninjas, was used in the murder.

** _Shido: _ ** _ Tamotsu had the katana? But without its sheath? What does that mean? Why would he have the weapon, but not its container? _

>>He carried it around as intimidation 

>>He was going to train

**>>He** **was planning to murder**

** _Shido: _ ** _ I got it! _

**Shido: ** The only logical conclusion of that was...He was going to murder someone.

**Tamotsu: ** Most likely to save us all from the poison before it was too late. Doing something wrong for the right reason...a noble and honorable thing, fitting for the Ultimate Ninja.

**Akihiko: ** Wait! Then does that mean he was going to kill me and Yuuki?!

**Kohaku: ** I don’t think Takehiko would have wanted more than one body. He was probably trying to frame the other in order to preserve his honor and not go out quietly. Though I do wonder if he would have helped us uncover the mystery himself...Though that’s something we can’t talk about. We can’t conclude exactly what was going through Takehiko’s mind.

**Yuuki: ** Eh? But Akihiko and I would have been at the meeting at the same time, right?

**Akihiko: ** Yea...we both would be there at 11:00 sharp, like Takehiko said.

**Yuuki: ** Eh? He told me it was at 11:10. ...Oh. I think I got it, now.

** _Shido: _ ** _ So...if Akihiko was going to arrive ten minutes before Yuuki...Who was Takehiko planning to kill? _

**>>Akihiko Kenjiro**

>>Yuuki Shunsho

>>Some third person

**Shido: ** S-So...Takehiko was going to...Kill Akihiko, and frame Yuuki?

**Kohaku: ** Not selfishly. He probably would have given up at the end. Or not. We don’t know!

**Akio: ** You sound...so calm!

**Kohaku: ** Well, a murder was probably going to happen. Mentally preparing yourself for it is always a good thing to do, ya know?

**Yoshie: ** Back to the subject at hand, that means the culprit may had just been acting in self-defense.

**Yukio: ** Not really. They could have just tied him up, woke everyone up, and told them what happened. Instead, they killed him.

**Yuji: ** But think about it, big brother! If they killed Takehiko, nobody would die from the poison!

**Yoshie: ** So either way, the culprit or the victim had to kill to save everyone...so they both were good people at heart.

**Akio: ** So Takehiko planned to murder, but his plan backfired. Either the culprit put up much more of a fight than he anticipated, or they took him by surprise. Regardless, he was dragged away to the storage room and killed by his own weapon.

**Haruki: ** But then...why make us confused on the murder weapon? They hid the katana injury, and stabbed him with a knife to make it seem like those were his fatal wounds. I just don’t get...why.

** _Shido: _ ** _ Confusing us on the cause of death...Why did the killer do that? What was their goal in mind? _

_ State your case! _

**Truth Bullets:**

**Hidden Injuries [Visible Injuries]**

**Takehiko’s Shirt Swap [Takehiko’s Constant Clothing]**

**Kyou: ** The culprit wanted us to think a knife was the murder weapon.

**Kyou: ** Why was the confusing goal in mind?

**Yuji: ** They could have just  made sure he was dead .

**Yuji: ** And just really didn’t care what we thought.

**Yoshie: ** It is possible that  they were enraged , and they took it out on him.

**Yukio: ** Maybe it was they  just didn’t care , and did it to fuck with us.

**Tamotsu: ** Those all are...theories.

** _Shido: _ ** _ They didn’t care what we thought, huh? They why was there such an effort to hide it? _

just didn’t care \-  **Takehiko’s Shirt Swap**

** _Shido: _ ** _ No, that’s wrong! _

_ Break!! _

**Shido: ** If they really didn’t care, why was Takehiko’s shirt swapped out?

**Yukio: ** Eh? Swapped?

**Shido: ** Between the katana injury and the knife injuries, Takehiko’s shirt was changed. This was to hide the true murder weapon, though I just do not get why.

**Hiroko: ** And how do we know that Takehiko didn’t just had that shirt the whole time?

** _Shido: _ ** _ How do we know...the killer had to do something to be able to change Takehiko’s shirt, if he was murdered tied up. Could it be related to that thing we found? _

**Monokuma File #1**

**Knife Stabs**

**Rope and Tape**

**Pocket Knife **

**Katana Sheath**

**Dying Message**

**Akihiko’s Account**

**Body Discovery Announcement**

**Hidden Injuries**

**Unlocking Student Dorms**

**Black Katana**

**Takehiko’s Shirt Swap**

**>>Cut Rope**

**Counselor Guard Cycle**

**Yuuki’s Account**

** _Shido: _ ** _ Could it be this? _

**Shido: ** W-Well, we know because we found some cut rope in Takehiko’s trash can in his room. If...he was stabbed by the murder weapon while tied up, a-as we have already confirmed, you would have to cut his bonds to change his shirt. And the cut rope we found was in numerous, almost equally measured pieces, like if they were from cutting someone’s bonds up vertically.

**Hiroko: ** Rope? Really? Rope is your evidence, peacock? It could have come from anything else.

**Kohaku: ** But it was from most likely cutting somebody’s bonds, like Takehiko’s, to be able to change his shirt! And the rope also proves who the culprit is!

**Daiki: ** Huh? It does?

**Kohaku: ** Well, we found it in Takehiko’s room, discarded along with some other crucial evidence. The culprit knew what the room would do if its owner died.

**Keiko: ** Do what? What would it do?

**Kohaku: ** Tell them, Shido!

** _Shido: _ ** _ She’s putting it on me...Alright, then. What does the room do that the culprit had to know? _

>>It offers different weapons

**>>It unlocks upon the inhabitant’s death**

>>It is exclusive to the killer of the inhabitant

** _Shido: _ ** _ I got it! _

**Shido: ** In order for the evidence to be there...the culprit had to know the room unlocks upon the death of its inhabitant. That even applies to the counselor rooms.

**Asuka: ** It does. I overheard Monokuma telling Shido this when Daiki and I were guarding Takehiko’s body during the investigation.

**Hiroko: ** And such a thing probably is not common knowledge among us. I doubt the killer knew that Monokuma would suddenly make it common knowledge, so they had just left some evidence in there, thinking it would be concealed.

**Kohaku: ** So that immediately limits our suspects to a group: the counselors.

**Tamotsu: ** Which means our mysterious counselor on guard duty who knew of the meeting is our culprit, correct?

**Kohaku: ** Hey, counselors! How long does a guard duty shift last?

**Yakuza** : It gets exchanged every three hours, miss Kohaku. Why do ya ask?

**Tamotsu: ** Okay, then. We know our murderer.

**Yuji: ** Whoa, we do?! Who is it?

**Tamotsu: ** Shido, we both were told this. You know the answer as much as I do.

**Shido: ** I...I do?

** _Shido: _ ** _ Something only Tamotsu and I were told, but Kohaku seems to be catching on to? Well...The Yakuza told us something in person. The counselor Guard duty. And if they lasted for three hours… _

**Shido: ** Akihiko, when were you told to meet up?

**Akihiko: ** Huh? Well...just before the nighttime announcement, so...probably 9:55.

** _Shido: _ ** _ We know of a counselor whose shift was during the murder...and if they last for three hours, they could have heard of the plans of murder, as well! Kohaku’s right...We DO have our culprit! The counselor of the known guard duty... _

**Select Someone!**

_ Shido Norihisa _

_ Takehiko Juzaburo _

_ Tamotsu Sugita _

_ Yuuki Shunsho _

_ Hiroko Nariakira _

_ Asuka Akira _

_ Haruki Ryobe _

_ Akio Bussho _

_ The Yakuza _

_ The Mechanic _

** _>>The Princess_ **

_ Hope _

_ The Athlete _

_ Akihiko Kenjiro _

_ Yukio Izo _

_ Yuji Izo _

_ Daiki Sorai _

_ Kohaku Hikozaemon _

_ Kyou Shun _

_ Keiko Kanon _

_ Yoshie Kazushi _

** _Shido: _ ** _ It has to be you! _

**Shido: ** The Princess was the one on counselor guard duty. R-Right, Yakuza?

**Yakuza: ** True as can be.

**Kohaku: ** Then that’s it! It’s her!

**Princess: ** …

**Hiroko: ** Quiet, aren’t we?

**Asuka: ** It makes sense. If the Princess was the counselor on guard duty at the time, she would have heard of Takehiko’s plan to murder. So she swooped in and killed him before he had a chance to kill the other students.

**Yuji: ** Are we right, or are we totally right, lady?!

**Princess: ** ...

**Yukio: ** So that’s it, right? Do we start votin’?

**Tamotsu: ** I want to ask her something, first. Just to be clear on this. Do the counselors provoke murders or fight against it?

**Princess: ** ...

**Shido: ** Please, ma’am. We need to hear you out if we are to guess correctly.

**Princess: ** Isn’t it your decision to vote for me, students?

**Shido: ** ...Huh?

** _Shido: _ ** _ She’s so eerily calm...It scares me! Don’t we have her plan figured out? So why is she shrugging this off? Are we getting something wrong here? _

** _Yakuza: _ ** _ Yer thinkin's all wrong, kid! _

**Yakuza: ** Listen. You all may not trust me, and I get that. Trust is like a loaded gun when I’m involved. But I can say yer thinkin’ about this the wrong way. There’s something ya’ve overlooked this whole trial. And for you ta find the true murderer, I gotta steer ya kids on the right path, as a counselor should do!

**While your opponent seems to fight against your argument, they instead wish to help you benevolently. This is the course of ** **Logic Refresh** **. Your aid will give you Truth Bullets of this trial to collect on five different lines filled with normal words. Avoid the white noise and collect the Truth Bullets, and fire the correct one to reach a valid conclusion with your aid! Happy refreshing!**

** _LOGIC REFRESH_ **

**Bullets: 3**

**Yakuza: ** Takehiko was definitely killed by a counselor, and that’s somethin’ I can agree on.  **[Unlocking Student Dorms]**

**Yakuza: ** However, what if I told ya the Princess played a different role?

**Yakuza: ** What if  **[Body Discovery Announcement] ** I told ya there’s a discrepancy in yer argument?

**Yakuza: ** Especially since up until now,  **[Counselor Guard Cycle]** a really important piece of evidence hasn’t been talked about.

**Unlocking Student Dorms**

**>>Body Discovery Announcement**

**Counselor Guard Cycle**

** _Shido: _ ** _ I can conclude to that! _

_ Complete!! _

**Shido: ** That’s right...the body discovery announcement! We still haven’t talked about it!

**Yakuza: ** And until ya figure it out, ya can’t say the Princess is the culprit.

**Yukio: ** Huh? What about the body discovery announcement?

**Shido: ** W-Well, you remember how exactly it went off, right? Me and Kohaku found Takehiko’s body, and then it played.

**Kohaku: ** However, the announcement only plays with three people having seen the body...which means there was at least one person before us besides the murderer that saw the body! Man, you’re good, Yakuza! Thanks a bunch!

**Yakuza: ** Heh...no problem, kid.

**Hiroko: ** But that does not mean that the Princess wasn’t the culprit. That filthy counselor is throwing us off.

**Tamotsu: ** I do agree. The Princess has too much evidence against her, at the moment.

**Yukio: ** Well, Shido is right. If we don’t find out the first person that saw the body, we’re just shootin’ in the dark!

**Keiko: ** Ho, hum...We seem to be half and half on this situation.

** _Monokuma: _ ** _ Half and half, you say? _

**Monokuma: ** If you all really are split, I have the perfect remedy to this! Students, please remain calm as your seats are rearranged to two lines!

** _Shido: _ ** _ Is the Princess the culprit, or the first person to sight the body? Whatever the answer is, it will change this whole trial, for the better or the worst! _

**You are about to enter a ** **Debate Scrum** **. Within it, two sides debate harshly on a topic split straight down the middle within the group. Arguing against your side demands for you to match up key terms to statements from the other side to correctly refute them. Once you have shot down all of the statements correctly, you get your point across and claim victory! Happy split statements!**

**SPLIT OPINION**

**Team Blanc:**

**Hiroko, Tamotsu, Yuuki, Asuka, Akio, Yuji, Kyou, Daiki, The Princess, The Mechanic**

**Team Noir:**

**Shido, Kohaku, Akihiko, Haruki, Yukio, Keiko, Yoshie, The Yakuza, Hope, The Athlete**

**Keywords:**

**Shido: Blame**

**Kohaku: Guard Duty**

**Akihiko: Suspect**

**Yukio: Believe**

**Yoshie: Chance**

**The Yakuza: Counselor**

**Keiko: Unlocking Rooms**

**What role does the Princess play?**

**Team Blanc: She is the murderer!**

**Team Noir: She was the one who found the body!**

**DEBATE SCRUM START!**

**Tamotsu: ** The Princess was the counselor on guard duty when the murder was planned.

** _Shido: _ ** _ Kohaku! _

**Kohaku: ** That’s what we assumed, but there’s no definite proof of her being on  **guard duty** at the time!

**Yuuki: ** Eh, but the Princess is still our prime suspect.

** _Shido: _ ** _ Akihiko! _

**Akihiko: ** Just because they are a  **suspect** doesn’t mean they’re the actual culprit.

**Hiroko: ** The culprit is a counselor, right?

** _Shido: _ ** _ Yakuza! _

**Yakuza: ** They are a  **counselor** , yes. But that doesn't immediately mean it was her.

**Yuji: ** We shouldn’t believe the Yakuza. He’s tricking us!

** _Shido: _ ** _ Yukio! _

**Yukio: ** It doesn’t matter whether we  **believe** him or not. He just raises a good point.

**Asuka: ** The Princess definitely knew of the unlocking rooms.

** _Shido: _ ** _ Keiko! _

**Keiko: ** Well, duh! All of the counselors know of the  **unlocking rooms** !

**Kyou: ** The Princess couldn’t have just stumbled upon the body by chance!

** _Shido: _ ** _ Yoshie! _

**Yoshie: ** Well, that  **chance** may actually be reality, for all we know.

**Princess: ** What’s wrong? Shouldn’t you all blame me for Takehiko’s murder?

** _Shido: _ ** _ I-I can do it! _

**Shido: ** W-Well, we’ll  **blame** whoever when we have everything in order!

**FULL COUNTER**

** _Team Noir: _ ** _ THIS IS OUR ANSWER! _

** _BREAK!!_ **

**Shido: ** E-Everybody! Until we figure out these last few mysteries...us guessing the culprit won’t help!

**Hiroko: ** Hmph. I suppose you have a point…

**Keiko: ** Ugh...This is getting so confusing, guys!

**Daiki: ** I will admit, it’s getting hard to track what we’ve talked about...

**Tamotsu: ** Let’s do a quick recap so we don’t lose ourselves, then. Hopefully to clarify a few things that had been a bit confusing for the rest of us.

_ State your case! _

**Truth Bullets:**

**Dying Message [Post-Mortem Message]**

**Rope and Tape [Lack of Rope and Tape]**

**Tamotsu: ** Takehiko was planning to murder Akihiko, and to frame Yuuki for it.

**Tamotsu: ** The culprit learned of this beforehand, so they took him by surprise and dragged him away.

**Tamotsu: ** They  tied him up , then proceeded to stab him with his own weapon in the storage room.

**Haruki: ** So then, with Takehiko’s last few breaths…

**Haruki: ** He wrote the dying message on the wall!

**Daiki: ** The killer proceeded to make a lot of confusing things about the crime scene...

**Daiki: ** And then the first person later found the corpse, but said nothing.

**Kohaku: ** And Shido and I  found him in the morning!

** _Shido: _ ** _ Wait. Hearing the whole story...I see now that something is wrong with this story. There’s something that Takehiko had no way of doing! _

He wrote the dying message on the wall! \-  **Rope and Tape**

** _Shido: _ ** _ No, that’s wrong! _

_ Break!! _

**Shido: ** Wait a minute, that’s it! Haruki, you’ve made me realize something!

**Haruki: ** Huh? What is it?

**Shido: ** How did Takehiko write the dying message? He was tied up, with his hands behind his back, remember? Maneuvering your hands to write a message against the wall...them being tied w-would provide quite the obstacle.

**Tamotsu: ** Hm...And his fatal wound, the katana stab...It was into his heart. It was instantaneous. No time to go up against the wall and scribble out in your own blood your message, especially since he couldn’t even reach his wound to get blood onto his hand to write.

**Kohaku: ** Not to mention...Shido, do you remember where exactly Takehiko was in the storage room?

** _Shido: _ ** _ Where he was? Let’s see...In the storage room, he was… _

>>Against a wall

**>>Against the shelves in the center**

>>In the back

** _Shido: _ ** _ I got it! _

**Shido: ** He was...in the center of the room. Against the shelves.

**Kohaku: ** And nowhere near the wall where the dying message was. That’s three strikes.

**Hiroko: ** But then who wrote it? It wasn’t the culprit, since they wiped away most of the message.

**Yuji: ** I wouldn’t say that...

**Hiroko: ** Huh? What do you mean? You go against my word?

**Yuji: ** Yea. Cause you’re dead wrong.

**Hiroko: ** Excuse me?

**Yuji: ** Alright, everyone! This is going to be long-winded, so bear with me! I’ll start simple. If the culprit did write the message, who would be the only person able to edit it the way it was before Shido and Kohaku found it?

** _Shido: _ ** _ The only person able to...that would be... _

**>>The first person**

>>The culprit

>>The victim

** _Shido: _ ** _ I got it! _

**Shido: ** The only one who could do it was...th-the first person who found the body, correct?

**Yuji: ** Uh-huh. But in order to understand why the culprit changed the message, we gotta understand what it was. What did the message originally say, instead of what it does now?

**Tamotsu: ** Well, what it says now is a crossed-out A and a circled Y. For anyone who knew of the meeting, you could translate it to...”Akihiko is innocent. Yuuki is the culprit.”

**Yuji: ** And yet, the Y used to have a lot written after it before it was smeared. Why is that?

** _Shido: _ ** _ To understand the crime scene, we have to conclude what was the original message? I think I get it...But I need to think on this more... _

**Hangman’s Gambit 4D is about to begin. Within it, you will be given a set of birds to choose from. Each bird has a letter written on their wings as they fly on the screen. The sparrows are obstacles, and the crows hold the letters. Do not let the crows crash into the sparrows! Select the crows in order of the letters to finish spelling the word! Happy birdwatching!**

** _Hangman’s Gambit 4D_ **

**N _ _ E**

** _What was the original contents of the message from the culprit?_ **

**NAME**

** _Shido: _ ** _ I can understand this now! _

**Shido: ** The original message...was the culprit’s name.

**Yuji: ** Exactly! That’s the only reason I can think of why the first person, if it was indeed the Princess, to severely edit the message like that! This leads into the next question I have, as well. Who dealt what wounds on Takehiko?

**Akio: ** Who dealt...what? I’m afraid I don’t follow.

**Kohaku: ** I think that I’m starting to get it! Yuji, I know what you’re getting at!

_ State your case! _

**Truth Bullets:**

**Takehiko’s Shirt Swap [Takehiko’s Constant Clothing]**

**Dying Message [Post-Mortem Message]**

**Hidden Injuries [Visible Injuries]**

**Kohaku: ** Okay, this doesn’t require some thinking.

**Kohaku: ** You just need to split the one confusing task into two parts!

**Kyou: ** Well, was it when  the culprit stabbed Takehiko with the katana , as we have already clarified?

**Keiko: ** Or was it  when the shirts were swapped?

**Haruki: ** Or when  the culprit used the knife to make that seem to be the murder weapon?

**Haruki: ** That is the flow of the exchange, correct?

**Keiko: ** But she said to cut it in two...where’s the cutting point?

** _Shido: _ ** _ To split this one task into two...I think I know where the split begins. It’s right where the confusion starts... _

when the shirts were swapped \-  **Takehiko’s Shirt Swap**

** _Shido: _ ** _ Your logic is irrefutable! _

_ Consent! _

**Shido: ** That’s definitely when the first person began editing the scene of the crime, Keiko. Swapping the shirts so the katana wound could be hidden.

**Keiko: ** Ha ha ha! I’m right! I knew it, baby!

**Yuji: ** So with that, I have one final question. Why was this all done? What was with the crime scene before all of this editing?

** _Shido: _ ** _ There was a property of the crime scene before the first person to find the body made all of the changes they did. Something that made them even think to do this...that reason had to be... _

>>It was nighttime

**>>It was too simple**

>>It was fun to do

** _Shido: _ ** _ I got it! _

**Shido: ** The culprit’s version of the crime scene was too easy. It was able to be solved just by looking at it, right?

**Yuji: ** Indeed! So you got what I was going at, huh?

**Yukio: ** Well, was all of that on accident? Were they just bad at hidin’ their evidence?

**Kohaku: ** No. Our culprit is a counselor, right? If they work for Monokuma, they no doubt have a plethora of knowledge on how to cover up a crime scene to make for an interesting trial. Our culprit wanted to be found out.

**Asuka: ** They forfeit their life...just like that?

**Kohaku: ** I don’t think that they really wanted to hurt anybody. But not only did the situation call for it, if no murder was to be carried out, we would have all died from poison. It was the needs of the many over the needs of the few out this shiz, ya know?

**Shido: ** The situation called for it?

**Kohaku: ** All you have to do is remember who the victim was planned to be. Who Takehiko was planning to murder. And our culprit becomes plain as day.

** _Shido: _ ** _ To think about the intended victim...that will reveal which counselor it was? Well, Takehiko planned to kill Akihiko, right? Which counselor does that indicate? Which counselor would kill to protect Akihiko, out of all people? _

**Select Someone!**

_ Shido Norihisa _

_ Takehiko Juzaburo _

_ Tamotsu Sugita _

_ Yuuki Shunsho _

_ Hiroko Nariakira _

_ Asuka Akira _

_ Haruki Ryobe _

_ Akio Bussho _

** _>>The Yakuza_ **

_ The Mechanic _

_ The Princess _

_ Hope _

_ The Athlete _

_ Akihiko Kenjiro _

_ Yukio Izo _

_ Yuji Izo _

_ Daiki Sorai _

_ Kohaku Hikozaemon _

_ Kyou Shun _

_ Keiko Kanon _

_ Yoshie Kazushi _

** _Shido: _ ** _ It has to be you! _


	14. Chapter 1: 1st Class Trial-3

**Shido: ** W-Was it really you...Yakuza?

**Yakuza: ** ...Huh? Yer accusin’ me, now?

**Tamotsu: ** Well, it quite frankly all adds up. You did want to be found out immediately, correct? You helped us throughout this entire trial. I was wondering why, since all of your allies are taking a back seat to it, but...this answers almost everything.

**Yakuza: ** Uh-huh...

** _Shido: _ ** _ He doesn’t look nervous, but...he doesn’t look to be completely calm, either. It’s as if...he’s waiting for something. Wait, is he waiting for...? _

** _Yakuza: _ ** _ Prove it ta me, kid! _

**Yakuza: ** Is that all you can come up with, kiddo? A smeared-up message and my personal preference in students? Hmph. Ya gotta do better ta prove it to everyone that I am the murderer.

**Shido: ** Wh-What? I thought you wanted to be outed!

**Yakuza: ** Oh, havin’ second thoughts, are we? Am I really the blackened? Ya need to put in some fuckin’ backbone and prove to me ya got what it takes!

**A new part of ** **Rebuttal Showdown** ** has been added, as your ** **Dancer’s Flow** ** skill. When you run through Rebuttal Showdown, you have the ability to slow down time, and take words from the opponent’s mouth to make ** **Contradictory Knives** **. With these Contradictory Knives, you can slice through weak points made up of slipups from your opponent that contradict their own words. Happy flowing!**

** _Rebuttal Showdown Start!_ **

**Truth Knives:**

**Pocket Knife**

**Dying Message**

**Yakuza: ** I know jack shit about this murder, okay?

**Yakuza: ** I mean, I got it from a secondhand source...

**Yakuza: ** And she’s quickly proven to be unreliable...

**Yakuza: ** Since she was the one that screwed up the whole crime scene!

**Yakuza: ** So yea, know nothin’ know-it-all.

_ Advance! _

**Shido: ** Well, the culprit did want to be found out.

**Shido: ** And now you’re vehemently claiming innocence.

**Yakuza: ** Ha, see? Nothin’ in my head of mine!

**Yakuza: ** I mean, I know as much as you guys.

**Yakuza: ** I know of the  post-mortem message ...

**Yakuza: ** I know of the  black katana without a sheath ...

**Yakuza: ** And I know  Takehiko was gonna murder!

** _Shido: _ ** _ You...just said something completely going against your claims. Are you...trying to give me a sort of signal? _

black katana without a sheath \-  I know jack shit

** _Shido: _ ** _ I’ll cut your argument in half! _

_ Break!! _

**Shido: ** If you claim to know nothing...how did you know of the katana?

**Yakuza: ** Because Tamotsu mentioned it earlier on. He said a katana was found in Takehiko’s room without its sheath.

**Shido: ** He said nothing about the color.

**Yakuza: ** Scuse me?

**Shido: ** You heard me, right? He didn’t state exactly which color it was. And yet...you said a ‘black katana’. You’re completely right. It was black. How did you know what color it was?

**Yakuza: ** I was guessin’, okay? Most of the katanas here are black! Gimme a break!

**Kohaku: ** Nah. They’re usually red. Only a few, if more than one, are black.

**Yakuza: ** Hey, I think I know what’s in here more than you do, miss Kohaku.

**Hiroko: ** So high and mighty...even when he has his back against the wall, too.

**Tamotsu: ** Why can’t you give in now? Didn’t you want to be discovered?

**Yakuza: ** Ya still haven’t confirmed I am the murderer, so ya can’t say I want ta be discovered.

**Yukio: ** Ugh...Here we go with the hard part.

**Another addition has been added to ** **Nonstop Debates** **. Like ** **Rebuttal Showdowns** **, your ** **Dancer’s Flow** ** skill has the ability to slow down time, to allow you to concentrate on the words more fiercely. However, another mechanic is new. You can now absorb people’s weak points into temporary ** **Truth Bullets** ** to use in this Nonstop Debate only. Your debating will now light the truth of the final act! Happy temporary flowing!**

_ State your case! _

**Truth Bullets:**

**Dying Message [Post-Mortem Message]**

**Unlocking Student Dorms [Locking Student Dorms]**

**Counselor Guard Cycle [Counselor Not Watching]**

**Yuji: ** The culprit is definitely a counselor, as we have concluded.

**Yakuza: ** That could apply ta any of us.

**Tamotsu: ** You singled out Akihiko among us.

**Yakuza: ** That could apply ta any of us.

**Keiko: ** You murdered Takehiko to save us all!

**Yakuza: ** That could apply ta ANY of us!

**Yukio: ** And you made the crime scene so obvious that we had to implicate you.

**Yakuza: ** Come on! Give me real evidence!

**Yakuza: ** Give me something that  only implies me!

** _Shido: _ ** _ Something that only implies you, huh? Well, what was the one characteristic that singled out the Yakuza from the rest of the counselors? _

That could apply ta ANY of us! \-  only implies me!

** _Shido: _ ** _ No, that’s wrong! _

_ Break!! _

**Shido: ** You’re the only counselor that truly cares for us, Yakuza.

**Yakuza: ** H-Huh?

**Shido: ** All of the counselors act...c-cold and harsh. Only loyal to Monokuma, putting on an act of false hope for us. You’re the only one that has ever gone out of their way to actually talk to us. Not on Monokuma’s orders, but...your own free will.

**Yakuza: ** Nngh...

**Shido: ** The other counselors may not have cared if we died. You did. And there was also something you said to me, once before.

** _Yakuza: _ ** _ Trust me. If I could stop this killin’ game with my bare hands, I would. Without hesitation. But I can’t. I don’t have that sort of power. _

**Shido: ** You wanted the killing game to end...But you knew that the only way it would was for us all to die. And you didn’t want that. You...cared.

**Yakuza: ** ...

** _Shido: _ ** _ I can’t see his mouth, but...I know his emotion. Stress. Guilt. Everything. He’s faltering. _

**Hiroko: ** Only you had the heart to murder to save us all from certain death...That’s admirable.

**Yuuki: ** Eh? You actually show admiration for a human being? Perhaps you aren’t a cold and heartless bitch.

**Tamotsu: ** Do you accept your fate, Yakuza? Or do we have to drag this out longer? Please let it be the former. I hate every bit of this.

**Shido: ** Huh?

**Tamotsu: ** I can tell just by looking at him. He’s in the exact same situation as we are. Scared and trapped, forced to murder for the sake of others. I...I pity him. And I feel more horrible than I have ever felt right now. I...I just want to get this over with.

**Yakuza: ** ...I can’t.

**Shido: ** H-Huh?

**Yakuza: ** I can’t give up. I can’t die now. I won’t let you do this! Fuck you! Shut up! I’m not the blackened!

** _Shido: _ ** _ I...I don’t...What happened to him? His voice is now... _

**Kohaku: ** Shido. Let’s give him one last chance to fight his way out of this. It’ll be for the best. And we will seal the deal with one last push.

**Shido: ** O...Okay. We’ll have to force him to see the truth, right?

**Yakuza: ** What truth is there?! Yuuki’s tricking you all! It was him! Not me!

**The final act of the game begins in ** **Reasoning Retaliation** **. In it, your opponent has ceased to listen to your arguing, and has turned to just throwing words until their breath runs hoarse in a last stand of survival. Mercilessly shatter their words, and break their final defenses to end their tirades and bring their execution down upon them. Survival awaits.**

** _Reasoning Retaliation Start!_ **

** _Phase 1:_ **

** _I will not give in to your deductions!_ **

** _There’s no way I’m the blackened!_ **

** _You gotta look at the evidence incriminating Yuuki!_ **

** _It’s all just a bad turn of cards, you see?_ **

** _I’m innocent, I swear!_ **

** _Phase 2:_ **

** _I’m not wasting my breath!_ **

** _I’m more innocent than any of you!_ **

** _I’m going to stay alive, no matter what!_ **

** _I don’t care what will happen!_ **

** _I’m spotless, not blackened!_ **

** _Phase 3:_ **

** _Shut up, shut up!_ **

** _I don’t care about this!_ **

** _I sound crazy, I know!_ **

** _But I can’t die here!_ **

** _And you can’t understand why!_ **

** _There’s nothing more! I don’t have a motive to do this!_ **

**PRO**

**TECT**

**AKI**

**HIKO**

** _GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH!!_ **

_ Break!! _

**Shido: ** Your motive lies in the victim of Takehiko’s planned murder, actually. If you didn't kill him, Akihiko would have been killed instead, and along with everybody else, if the poison was not given an antidote. So you did have a clear motive to kill him!

**Yakuza: ** N...n...no! One more chance! One more! I’ll prove you wrong! I...!

**Tamotsu: ** ...

**Yakuza: ** Stop...Stop looking at me like that! With all of your half-assed pity! Fuck your pity! Fuck all of it! Fuck...Fuck all of this!

** _Shido: _ ** _ He was so calm and collected before...even smug at times. But now...he’s given up, coming undone right before us. _

**Kohaku: ** Shido? Let’s...end this.

**Shido: ** I...I got it.

**Yakuza: ** No...please! I can’t fail! I can’t...!

**In ** **Climax Reasoning** **, you will piece together every bit of the path the blackened had taken, sealing the story in stone and rendering the murderer awaiting the execution they deserve. At this point, there is no turning back for the blackened or the spotless pursuing them. Begin the final act.**

** _Shido: _ ** _ And the story goes like this. _

**“It began all last night, when the poison was given one more day to set in and kill us all. We all were ready to accept death, but one of us was planning to save us all. This was the victim of this case, Takehiko Juzaburo. He took a black katana without its sheath from the storage room, and invited Yuuki and Akihiko out into the hall of the student dorms later on that night. However, Yuuki was told to go ten minutes after Akihiko would, ten minutes after 11. This was to frame Yuuki for the planned death of Akihiko.**

**“Somehow, the culprit of our case caught wind of this. For whatever reason, he sought to protect Akihiko, but at the same time, wanted as many students to live as possible. So he found Takehiko waiting in the hallway, and took him by surprise. Quickly tying him up, he dragged both him and his weapon away into the storage room. There, in the privacy of night, he stabbed Takehiko through the heart with the katana, killing him instantly. He also used Takehiko’s blood to write his own name on the wall, implicating him as the killer. Satisfied, the killer left, confident he will be found guilty the next day and that everyone’s safety was guaranteed.**

**“But before that, the Princess on guard duty had witnessed the murder through the cameras. Angered at the open and shut case, she decided to confuse many details about the case. Not only did she erase the killer’s name, and instead created a message that implicated Yuuki, the scapegoat of the actual planned murder, she also swapped Takehiko’s shirt for a different one to hide the katana wound, and proceeded to stab him with a knife. This was to add a confusing layer of evidence to the trial and keeping the blackened’s identity much more of a secret. She then dumped all of the most vital evidence in Takehiko’s room. Upon somebody’s death, their room would unlock, and since only the counselors knew this, she thought the evidence would be safe there.**

**“The next morning, everybody woke up as usual. The body was only discovered when I had smelled blood in the kitchen, and Kohaku and I proceeded to find Takehiko’s body in the storage room. Luckily, it was only the two of us, so when the body discovery announcement played, we were immediately suspicious. We didn’t know back then, but the announcement would play a key part in differentiating the Princess and the blackened.**

**“The true culprit of this case was the only counselor we could really trust...and I’m sorry to say this, but...The Yakuza is the only one! He is the killer!”**

**COMPLETE!!**

**Monokuma: ** Very well, then! Are we all done here?

**Yakuza: ** ...

**Hope: ** You’re crying.

**Yakuza: ** Huh? I-I am? Damn...this is...heh, this is embarrassing.

**Monokuma: ** Well, then, if everyone has decided on who they think the culprit is...in front of you is a button set. Please use it to select who you think the culprit is. And don’t think about abstaining your vote! You’ll be punished for that!

**Kohaku: ** ...

**Monokuma: ** Will you pick the right choice, or the dreadfully wrong one? What’s it gonna be? What’s it gonna beeeeee~?!

_ The buttons light up as everyone pressed on them. The screen shows a unanimous vote for the Yakuza. It’s over. _


	15. Chapter 1: 1st Class Trial-4

“Puhuhuhuhu...” As we all stared at the TV, Monokuma laughed. “I’m happy to announce you all were correct. The Yakuza was the killer of Takehiko Juzaburo!”

The Yakuza said nothing. He wasn’t crying anymore, but the tear stains were still on his face. He was visibly trying to recollect himself to retain some form of dignity.

“So...you did kill him,” Shido muttered. “You...You killed my friend.”

“It...had to have been done,” The Yakuza almost whispered. “The needs of the many...outweighed the needs of the few. And he was going to kill Akihiko, I...I had to do something!”

“There is no point in explaining your motive now,” Asuka remarked. “The outcome for you will be all the same, won’t it? Monokuma will punish you as soon as it becomes available.”

This only seemed to stress the Yakuza out more. “Nngh...!”

“But I want to understand why,” Tamotsu suddenly said.

The Yakuza paused. “You...You already know. I did it to save you all.”

“That’s not what I’m referring to. The original setup of the crime scene blatantly declared you as the killer. You wanted to be found out. But in the last part of the trial, you fought back against us. Why was that? What was your sudden change of tone caused by?”

“I wanted ta see if you were ready ta go on without help.”

Shido froze. He had suddenly gained back an air of that smug confidence he always had. And his voice was back to doing...that thing. Was it a mask he used to seem nonchalant? Something he defaulted to in cases of emergency?

Tamotsu noticed it as well. “Excuse me?”

“Ya heard me, right? I knew that, since I killed Takehiko, I was goin’ ta leave you all without a source of guidance. So I found myself thinkin’ over the last night, and came to the conclusion that...well, I needed ta get ya ta prove yerself. Make sure you all were in the correct hands.”

“You...wanted me to prove myself?” Shido questioned.

“I just wanted ta see if...well, it ain’t important ta get exact. That’s what ya wanted to know, right? My motivation fer not goin’ quietly like I had originally planned.”

Monokuma seemed to hum thoughtfully. “You know, listening to this made me think...You’re the one, aren’t you? Their mole.”

The...mole? What was he talking about? Didn’t the Yakuza work for Monokuma? But...if he was against him...that would explain everything. His true caring for the students, his opposition of the entire killing game...

With that, the Yakuza raised his hands in mock surrender. “Heh. Ya got me, Monokuma. Yea. I never was entirely honest with ya.”

Monokuma growled, his claws visibly coming out of his paw. “I should have known from the start. You were too compliant with everything.” He suddenly laughed. “And this makes this all even better!”

“Right. I’m gonna get executed, right now.” The Yakuza suddenly looked stressed again, as if that switch was flicked back again. “Shit...I knew what I was signing up for, but...I don’t wanna die!”

“That means nothing, now.” Hiroko suddenly got everybody’s attention. “What matters is a choice for you, Yakuza.”

The Yakuza looked at her. “H-Huh?”

“No matter what you do now, you will die. So would you rather die crying for your mother, or...dying like a soldier, facing your death with dignity and knowing that you have had the slightest of victories? What really sounds more appealing? Making us remember you as a murderer, or a martyr?”

The Yakuza was quiet. He stared at Hiroko’s expression, reading it with a subdued form of curiosity and surprise. He, like everyone else, didn’t expect her out of all the people here, to say that.

“You...” Shido stammered.

“Don’t ruin this with your voice,” Hiroko coldly said.

He quickly nodded. “G-Got it, ma’am!”

“...Yea. Yea, I think I got it. Dying with a form of dignity. I would like that.” The Yakuza chuckled. “So then, Monokuma? Shall we get the ball rolling?”

“Yes, indeed, Yakuza!” Monokuma chortled.

“I got one thing to say, first.” The Yakuza pointed. “You are a real, motherfucking piece of shitty art!”

The sadistic bear ignored him. “Now then, I’ve prepared a very special punishment for your counselor, the Yakuza!”

As Monokuma spoke, the Yakuza looked directly at Shido. “Oh, Shido, right?”

The Yakzua forgot his name? “Um, y-yea?”

“Watch over them both. Akihiko, and...you know.”

You...know? What did he mean by that? Why didn’t he even say a name...Wait a minute!

_ Nagito: My...my siblings are in Monolith Valley. All of them except my slightly-older brother. _

_ Shido: Wh...What? Who? _

_ Nagito: ...Actually, they may have gotten out in time. They’re all very tough, so I don’t want to just say that they’re in immediate danger. And Father wouldn’t allow them to be hurt on his watch, so...yea, I don’t need to worry. _

“Y...Yakuza? Are you...?” 

The Yakuza seemed to get what he was implying, so he nodded. “Yea. Second-oldest. The Princess is the oldest.”

Shido gasped. “Then...th-the rest of the counselors are-?!”

Monokuma interrupted them. “Let’s give it everything we’ve got! Iiiiiiit’s punishment tiiiiime!”

The Yakuza only nodded one last time. “Farewell, Shido. Don’t lose sight of hope and the truth and all that bullcrap.”

**THE YAKUZA HAS BEEN FOUND GUILTY.**

**TIME FOR THE PUNISHMENT!**

_ The Yakuza stood in the center of the clearing formatted into the class trial. Sweat going down his face, he looked at both the students and the counselors watching them. All of them were either shocked or trying in vain to hide their true emotions under just having no expression. _

_ From the large platform holding the counselors and Monokuma’s throne, a chain shot out, with a shackle on the end. The Yakuza turned his head to see it, eyes going wide. Before he could dodge it, it clamped around his neck. He was yanked back, suddenly being dragged into the open compartment. Shido reached out for him to futilely try and grab his hand, but obviously failed. The mask on the Yakuza flew off from the wind to reveal clenched teeth and a scared expression as the compartment door closed, sealing him inside. _

_ Inside of a black void, a light suddenly turned on to shine upon the Yakuza sitting in a chair. His wrists and ankles were latched onto the chair, and his eyes were closed, though his body shook in obvious fear of what is going to happen. His eyes opened when he heard Monokuma pop up behind him, though only looked with his eyes, not giving him the dignity of turning his head. _

_ As for Monokuma, he seemed to chortle before pressing a button. On the floor, six pink circles lit up, casting a glow on the Yakuza’s face. As he watched, different weapons shot out of each circle: fire, spikes, a gush of poison, you name it. The only safe one was the one under the Yakuza’s chair...until a knife shot up from it and stabbed through the chair’s arm, puncturing his strapped-down arm. Blood begin to drip down as there was a clicking noise. _

** _THE YAKUZA’S EXECUTION_ **

** _SPINNING REVOLVER ROULETTE_ **

_ The chair began to move over each circle. Sometimes, the weapons in each pink circle came out to cause harm to the Yakuza, sometimes they did not. It was all up to chance, but regardless, the Yakuza already was getting horribly mauled, blood going down his face. _

_ Then it got faster, and faster, and...the spinning chair became a blur, and the weapons popped out and went back in so fast, it was impossible to see which was used and which wasn’t. Not even the Yakuza could tell, only focused on the pain and the motion sickness. Blood dropped down from the circling chair to make a clear circle connecting each pit of death. _

_ Then the chair stopped, and the damage done to the Yakuza was obvious. Blood was everywhere on him, and burns melted away both clothes and skin. His hair was singed as he deeply breathed with spinning eyes of dizziness. Sweat and tears were collecting on his face, washing away some of the blood. _

_ Monokuma waved at him, and the chair unlocked its cuffs. The Yakua tumbled forward, falling on the ground facefirst. Blood was already making a stain as he lifted his head up, his teeth gritted in agony. _

_ Then the floor opened up. The Yakuza’s body plummeted downwards, a hand reached out and his eyes wide in fear. Below him was a pit of fire, and nothing came between him and gravity when he plummeted into the flames, giving a shriek of fear and death. _

_ When the flames stopped roaring, Monokuma peeked in. On the floor of the pit, there was nothing but ashes strewn around. The burnt remains of the Yakuza aid there amidst the embers. Nothing else of the poor counselor existed. _

_ Meanwhile, in the clearing, a projector was displaying the entire thing to the students. All of them had faces of either fear or gobsmacked shock. Sweat was going down their faces as it finally kicked in that Monokuma was not playing around anymore. Even the counselors were horrified. That was justified, as that was most likely their own brother that had been tortured and killed so brutally. _

Who was worst off was Shido. A hand over his mouth, tears rolled down his face at the ashen sight. He may have killed Takehiko, but...it was to save everyone. Nobody deserves such a thing.

“UWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!” The Mechanic shrieked at the top of his lungs.

“He...He’s dead!” The Princess sobbed. “Fu-Y-Yakuza...is dead!”

The Athlete had her jaw on the floor. “I don’t...I don’t believe it. I thought we were safe...I thought this was a game...”

“You should have known by the rules you weren’t excluded,” Asuka said. “Don’t you remember? The rules include the counselors on that they can be the blackened or executed.”

Monokuma popped back onto his throne with a content sigh. “Ah, nothing like a good execution to release all that built-up stress in your body! I feel very cleansed! How about you all?”

“W-Wait!” The Princess cried. “That was...That was murder, wasn’t it?! You killed...!”

“Well, I did say that the counselors will not be exempt from the rules I have in place,” Monokuma pointed out. “And besides, once I learned of his actions, I probably would have executed him anyways for breaking my poor trust and going against my back!”

“Th...That’s right,” Akihiko realized. “You said that he was...somebody’s mole.”

“Yes indeed,” Monokuma sighed. “I didn’t realize they had caught up to us so fast, but...I’m sorry to announce that there might be some issues for this summer school in the future. For the Yakuza wasn’t a mole of some ordinary terrorist group: he belonged to Insurrection’s Abyss!”

Insurrection’s Abyss? A terrorist group? Even the name simply struck fear into Shido’s heart. A sudden chill went down his spine. He had never heard of these people, and yet, he was already frightened by the possibilities of who exactly they were.

“Insurrection’s...Abyss?” Tamotsu questioned. “I’ve never heard of them.”

“And you’ve never heard of me, Ultimate Anti-Hero, but here I am!” Monokuma replied. “Though I do think you deserve an explanation. The Insurrection’s Abyss seeks to overthrow the natural order of the entire universe! They use their puppets to spread nothing but malicious darkness! And if they seize control of this killing game, well...a nasty fate awaits you all!”

“Yea, and why should we believe you?” Yuji asked. “You’re just letting the stuffing get to your head!”

“Oh, I never lie! Just use the terminology of ‘exact words’!” Monokuma chuckled. “An example was the tea.”

Shido paused. “The...tea?”

“It was never poisoned at all,” the bear said. “None of you were in danger. Kohaku was the one that made that assumption, after all.”

At once, the rug was once more pulled out from under Shido. There was...no poison at all? None of them were in danger? That would explain...how those words were phrased so oddly...

_ Kohaku: WAAAAAAAAH! They were poisoned, weren’t they?! _

_ Monokuma: If that’s what you call sweet tea, then sure! They were poisoned! _

“They...they had no poison!” Shido yelled. “You lied!”

“I didn’t lie. I only assumed that’s what kids these days called ‘sweet tea’. I mean, kids have a funny penchant to name a non-harmful thing something very lethal and threatening!”

“Takehiko...And the Yakuza...” Haruki gasped. “They died...for nothing!”

“Oh, I wouldn’t say nothing. I’ll say it’s more...a necessary sacrifice. With the bloodshed fresh in your minds, it’ll be much easier to kill, kill, kill!” Monokuma laughed.

“Hold!” The Princess yelled. “There was no poison at all?!”

“Are you freakin’ kiddin’?!” The Mechanic shrieked. “The Yakuza killed a student based on some lies?! He thought he was doin’ the right thing!”

“Oh, but he was! Look around. His status as a martyr now...it’s invigorated all these poor, helpless souls. A bittersweet tone of hope is leaking into it, bit by bit...it’ll make the despair that will come from crushing their spirits even more delicious! Puhuhuhuhu!”

“You lied...to even your allies?!” Kyou exclaimed. “Even they did not know of your deceit?!”

“Fuck you!” Yukio screamed. “I’ll fuckin’ kill you!”

Yuji sniffled. “B-Big brother, please!”

Hiroko actually looked a bit distressed. “The Yakuza...he was too good of a man to stay, wasn’t he?”

Shido finally got up. His fury and distress was reaching a boiling point. His pure rage was blocking him from any correct thought process.

“I’LL KILL YOU!” He screamed, lunging at Monokuma.

“No.” A hand gripped his arm.

Shido looked over, tears going down his face. Yuuki stood there, having his arm in a tight grip. He stared at Shido with neither sympathy or any other emotion. His face was unable to be read once more.

“You’ll be executed if you strike Monokuma,” Yuuki said. “And your death will be meaningless. Just like Takehiko’s was. You don’t want that, right?”

“B-But-!”

“No buts.” With surprising strength, Yuuki pulled Shido away from Monokuma. “This is a fight we cannot win at the moment.”

Shido stood there, watching Monokuma. His form shaking, he lowered his arms, but Yuuki still did not let go of him until his entire body relaxed. By then, all of the rage evaporated into heartwrenching sorrow.

“Why...?” Shido whispered. His legs gave out, and he fell to his knees. “Takehiko...why did you ever...?”

“Well, I best be getting off!” Monokuma said in delight. “I have the next motive to plan, barriers against the Insurrection’s Abyss to set up...oh, how my schedule will be busy! Come along, counselors!”

None of them looked willing to go at first. The Princess had her fists clenched, tears going down her face. The Mechanic seemed to be hyperventilating. The Athlete looked ready to punch Monokuma herself, her teeth drawn tight in her mouth. The only one even close to calm was Hope, and he had a grimace of sorts.

“Hey! Let’s go!” Monokuma suddenly snapped.

All of them responded in choked, unstable voices. “Y-Yes, Monokuma!” They called before they all popped out of sight with the bear.

“They’re gone...” Akio murmured.

“And good riddance, too,” Asuka added.

Kohaku immediately went over to Shido. “Shi-Shi, are you okay?”

“...Shi-Shi?”

“Yea. I give all of my friends nicknames. I was pondering a good one for you this whole time, because...well, you’re my friend.”

“...F...Friend? I’m your...friend?” Shido spoke as if the word was new on his tongue.

Kohaku nodded. “Yea. You are. Probably the closest to me here that isn’t dead now.”

“I’m not deserving of that title.” Shido looked down. “I’ll fail you, like I failed...” His eyes watered when his mind went to the corpse found in the storage room. “Like I failed him. I’m too worthless to be a friend.”

“What are you talking about?!” Kohaku suddenly snapped, and Shido looked up at her. “Shido, you carried us through that trial 70% of the time! You connected bridges that I didn’t! And now you’re back to hating yourself? What changed?”

What...changed? Shido...had no idea. During the entire trial, it seemed like he was working on a different drive. One holding more courage than he’s ever done. Where did it come from? And where did it go once this all came to a close?

Kohaku looked to the side. “You are really something else, Shi-Shi. You know that, right? You confuse even the mighty Ultimate Illusionist.”

All of this was becoming too much. Shido needed an outlet, anything, if he wasn’t to faint on the spot from stress.

“H-Hey...Kohaku?”

“Yea, Shi-Shi?”

“Tell me...what’s your past?”

Kohaku smiled. “I’m glad you asked! See, I was incubated in a petri dish...”

By the time Kohaku had finished telling her long and absurd story she probably made up on the spot, they all had finished the bus trip back to the summer school. The class trial, along with the Yakuza’s ashen remains, were behind them now, but still lingered fresh in their minds, and wouldn’t leave their dreams alone for the night.

The stories Kohaku told were convoluted and stupid, but...they made Shido feel better. They were just too absurd not to laugh at. That’s why he was at least in a bit of a better mood now, having the time to sit back, relax, and comprehend the entire day’s occurrences.

Shido and Kohaku stood in front of the school. It was nighttime now, the crickets faintly chirping as the sky was illuminated with stars. The school’s first floor still had its lights on. However, a lot of the dorm windows had no lights, signalling that a lot of people have gone to sleep already.

“Are you ready to call it a day?” Kohaku asked. “I’m ready to hit the hay, personally.”

“Um...Not yet,” Shido admitted. “Y-You’re probably the only person I’ll admit this to, but...I like to take some nighttime walks alone, just before I go to bed. I-I’ve never spoken about it because...well, it just sounds so suspicious.”

“Oh, I understand!” Kohaku realized. “I also have a weird habit I do before I go to bed! I do a handstand against the wall, and once all the blood’s gone to my head, I go to sleep! So nighttime walks aren’t entirely weird!”

Shido stared at her for a moment, then realized how rude that was. “O-Okay!”

Kohaku was quiet. She was staring at Shido, no change in her expression. Her face was suddenly so devoid of emotion, as if she was just a doll. A horrific chill went down his spine, and his mind raced to prepare for the worst.

And then just like that, her smile returned. “Well then, please return ASAP so nobody finds you suspiciously walking around, okay? Bye!” Kohaku merrily skipped away into the building, smiling.

Kohaku was...such an odd person. And that moment was actually terrifying. But still, Shido found her a lot more bearable than a lot of their classmates. And yet...she could never compare to...

No, stop thinking about him. He’s dead. He probably was faking it all, anyways, just to betray Shido later on. They all do. Kohaku probably is, too. Nobody’s his friend in this situation. He just shouldn’t make himself a target, and all will be fine.

But yet the trial came back into Shido’s mind. He was so...confidant and smart. And outside of it, he’s weak and cowardly. So where did everything that fueled him in that situation come from?

By now, he’s reached the fence. Even when the bus had just returned, there was no sign of it ever disappearing and reappearing. The electricity was still running as usual, too. Where did the bus even go when this fence was still here?

“Ah, Shido!” Shido looked through the bars to see Nagito run up, waving a hand. “You’re still okay!”

The dancer shrugged a shoulder. “Sort of,” he admitted when Nagito stopped to look at him through the fence. “It...finally happened. Somebody murdered to avoid the death of poison on us all.”

Nagito’s eyes went wide. “O...Oh no...” He muttered. “And I...I promised I would help, too.”

Shido looked up. “Let me guess. You found no cure to the poison.” Nagito slowly shook his head. “I understand why. Th...There was no poison. M-Monokuma tricked us all.”

Nagito stared. He blinked a few times, trying to comprehend that. But his face was still etched in worry. Shido felt incredibly bad for telling him this. He seemed to just be a child, after all.

“Shido, I...” Nagito gulped. “Who did it? Who murdered who?”

“Well...the victim was my...fr...ally. And the murderer was...was...”

_ Nagito: ...Actually, they may have gotten out in time. They’re all very tough, so I don’t want to just say that they’re in immediate danger. And Father wouldn’t allow them to be hurt on his watch, so...yea, I don’t need to worry. _

“...it was...”

_ Yakuza: Watch over them both. Akihiko, and...you know. _

_ Shido: Y...Yakuza? Are you...? _

_ Yakuza: Yea. Second-oldest. The Princess is the oldest. _

_ Shido: Then...th-the rest of the counselors are-?! _

“It...was...nobody I really got to know that well. N-Now...I wish I did.”

“Shido, I...I am so sorry. It must be horrible...But don’t worry! I think I may have a lead now!” Nagito’s face brightened with optimism. “Yes...I have heard of Monokuma before!”

Shido was surprised, too. “You-You have?!”

“Yes, but...I don’t know where. But it’s something. But it’s a lead to solving this mystery. If we work together, both inside and out...we can best this killing game, before anyone else is killed!”

Nothing seemed to get Nagito down...he truly acted like a child. His smile actually brought Shido a sense of courage himself. Perhaps he was the source of his bravery during the class trial?

“Oh...Nagito! I need you to answer me something.”

“Huh?”

“Have you ever heard of...Insurrection’s Abyss?”

Nagito frowned. “It’s something that isn’t familiar. Sounds like a video game antagonist faction. Why do you ask?”

“Well...it was just a harmless question.”

_ Beep, beep, beep... _

_ “Hello? Are you there? It’s me again.” _

_ ... _

_ “You were asleep? Oh, I’m sorry. I can call you back-” _

_ ... _

_ “Well, it’s certainly something you’ll need to be awake for. And I know you haven’t gotten much sleep in the last few days.” _

_ ... _

_ “Um, it’s...it’s Fuyuhiko. We lost contact with him inside of Monolith Valley. We have to assume the worst.” _

_ ... _

_ “Don’t you try to blame me! Fuyuhiko knew very well what he was signing up for! He knew what he was risking! But...long story short, we have little to no control over what happens there, now. Some of those kids are not going to make it out alive, and now, we can’t figure out who the mastermind is.” _

_ ... _

_ “Wh-What? What do you mean, you have a hunch on it? Tell me!” _

_ ... _

_ “Huh? I should know...? Do you mean that I may have to look...? No, I get what you’re implying, now. But are you sure on your hunch?” _

_ ... _

_ “Thirty-seventy are not good odds, you know. I know you are a bit of a gambling man, but-” _

_ ... _

_ “The others? Well, now that they’re aware of what danger they’re in...maybe I can pull some strings, get them out, see what I can do. I don’t think that they in particular are going to be in danger at the given moment.” _

_ ... _

_ “Plan? What plan? You better have talked to Insurrection’s Abyss’s leader on this!” _

_ ... _

_ “You are a madman, you know? But you’re still the best shot on getting at least him out alive. We need him. Anybody else is...well, just a bonus, to be honest.” _

_ ... _

_ “Don’t you go and give me crap about talking in business slang. Have you heard the shit that comes out of your mouth 90% of the time?” _

_ ... _

_ “Alright, fine. I got it. I’ll talk to you when my schedule allows it. And you better get some damn sleep, or you’ll be drooling on yourself by the time we get things back in control.” _

_ Beep... _

**Chapter 1: The Sacred Dark and the Pilfered Light**

**REMAINING STUDENTS:**

Shido Norihisa

Kohaku Hikozaemon

Yuuki Shunsho

Yukio Izo

Yuji Izo

Asuka Akira

Daiki Sorai

Yoshie Kazushi

Keiko Kanon

Hiroko Nariakira

Akihiko Kenjiro

Haruki Ryobe

Akio Bussho

Kyou Shun

Tamotsu Sugita

**15 STUDENTS REMAINING**

** _ITEM GET: Yakuza’s Mask!_ **

** _A broken mask that confirms the completion of Chapter 1. The Yakuza wore it over his mouth, and lost it when he was pulled to his execution._ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 1 is officially very, which means the voting for Chapter 2's Free Time Events are now open on the Discord server! Currently, four spots are open.


	16. Chapter 2-1: Soaring Over Bloodied Waters

Shido laid awake in his bed, staring up at the ceiling. His body wasn’t really keen on getting up, so he just continued to let himself be absorbed by the sheets.

Takehiko was gone. The Yakuza was gone. And they just left so many questions that were impossible to answer now.

Who were Insurrection’s Abyss? Were they good or were they bad? Would this group be able to get them out of here, or at least end the killing game? They sounded like just a few meager questions that could be answered in the form of actions and yet, they felt impossible to answer. Mostly because their mole in Monokuma’s ranks is gone.

And on top of that, Shido now shouldered two hefty responsibilities. The first one was that if another class trial ever happened, it would be him to solve the murder. Kohaku said it best herself...

_ Kohaku: Shido, you carried us through that trial 70% of the time! You connected bridges that I didn’t! _

Once people see a good source of something, they cling onto it. So now...does everyone see him as important? Will they demand of him to solve their problems? Or are they just waiting for him to fail so they can take the glory? Yes...it’s one of those latter two.

The second one was to protect them both. Akihiko and Nagito. But how could he do that? Wasn’t he powerless in a place like this? And what if Akihiko became a blackened or a victim? There would be no way to save him then. The only thing he could do was steer him on the correct path.

Shido was planning to stay in bed the entire day, unwilling to get up and face everybody. He couldn’t after what had happened yesterday. Wasn’t it his fault that the Yakuza and, by extension, Takehiko were dead?

A knock on his door ruined any hope of just staying in. He didn’t react at first, turning his head in the sheets to stare at his door. He only moved when the knocks came again, only louder, as if they were bashing their fist instead of politely knocking.

“I-I’m coming!” Shido called to the person knocking, stumbling as he put back on his boots.

It wasn’t Kohaku or Tamotsu at the door. Surprisingly, it was Yuuki. The one with no talent. He stood there, smiling as the Ultimate Dancer opened the door.

“A-Ah! Yuuki?” Shido was startled to see him there. “What are you doing here?”

“Eh? Sorry if I scared you,” Yuuki apologized. “Tamotsu just asked me if I could check on you, and to see if you wanted to have breakfast.”

Shido looked surprised. “Huh? You came...for me?”

“Yea. You’ve haven’t come out of your room yet, so we all got pretty worried. Eh, are you feeling sick?”

“Huh? N-No, I’m fine. I’ll...I’ll go and get breakfast, I guess.” Shido brushed past Yuuki, stepping out of his room.

“Eh? Are you sure you’re feeling okay, Shido?”

“I-I’m fine, really,” Shido lied. “You don’t need to bother yourself with me.”

The dining hall was as lively as anybody would expect. Everyone was there, but nobody was talking. Some people didn’t even have breakfast set out in front of them. They just stared at the table.

“H-Hey...” Shido murmured.

Tamotsu looked over. “Ah, Shido. Are you feeling well?”

Shido instead looked in the direction of the kitchen door. “Is he still in...there?”

Everyone knew what he was referring to. The body of Takehiko Juzaburo, found in the storage room. The smell of blood and the horrific sight would probably never leave Shido’s mind as long as he lived. The question was, would it still be in there? If so, he couldn’t stomach going into even the kitchen.

Yukio only looked sad. “No. It was scrubbed clean when we investigated. Like it never happened.”

“I don’t really know how to feel ‘bout that,” Keiko admitted. “On one hand, I wouldn’t like a body stinking up the room. But on the other...”

“All of the stuff involved in the murder was put back in their original places,” Haruki added. “Even his dorm room was cleaned out, and the plating on it declaring his name is gone, as well. As if he was never existed here...it’s scary.”

Then that settled it. Takehiko was truly gone. He wasn’t ever going to come back. Would Shido even forget him, if his presence here in this summer school was scrubbed away like that?

“No time to mourn...” Asuka hummed. “A bit of a cruel mercy, if you ask me. The game will continue on, as if none of the events of yesterday ever happened.”

“But they still have their effects,” Hiroko chimed in. “The Yakuza has lit a spark between us. The next murder will come much more easily to the culprit.”

“N-No!” Yuji suddenly exclaimed. “There won’t be another murder!”

Hiroko only glanced to the side. “Are you sure, or are you just saying that?”

Yuji gulped, and quickly looked down. “W-Well...” he admitted.

Akihiko raised his hands. “Hey, hey! We can’t be talking like this! If we focus on the negatives, that’s definitely another murder on our hands!”

“But what are the positives...?” Yukio questioned with a downcast expression.

Shido looked worried. “Yukio, wh-what happened to your firey personality?”

“I’ll tell you what happened, I saw two guys that didn’t deserve any of this fuckin’ crap like the rest of us get killed by the rules of some sadistic teddy bear. Stuff like that prevents your swing for more than a day, at least.”

Yuji frowned. “Hey, Shido? I think it’ll be best to just leave my brother alone.”

“Y-Yea. I’m sorry, Yuji,” Shido apologized.

Kohaku suddenly crossed her arms. “Okay, enough of this melodramatic shiz. We need to talk about important stuff.”

“Eh?” Yuuki asked. “What’s important?”

“Duh! The apparently terrorist organization the Yakuza worked for!” Kohaku replied. “We need to really get deep with that subject!”

“But how deep?” Tamotsu asked. “We have no information on this group they call Insurrection’s Abyss at all, you know.”

“But we could assume what their allegiance is,” Kohaku pointed out. “Remember, Monokuma described them as being against him, so they could very well be our allies.”

Yoshie frowned. “However, he also said that they were a greater evil than him, and wished to spread darkness across the universe.”

“Not to mention, Insurrection’s Abyss isn’t exactly the most friendly name,” Akio added.

Hiroko frowned. “We cannot say for sure whether they are friends or enemies.” She then smiled a bit. “However, they do seem to wish to end the killing game, or at least monitor and manipulate it behind the scenes. That was the point of a mole in the rankings of the counselors, no?”

“Speaking of...” Tamotsu suddenly realized. “Do you think they will actually side with Monokuma, now?”

Shido looked confused at him. “H-Huh?”

“Well, they did show a rather large quantity of shock when the Yakuza was executed, and now know for sure they are not exempt from the rules of being killed in this game of Monokuma’s. Why exactly would they keep working for him if they know this information now?”

“You do raise a point, but there is the possibility they are ruled by fear, now,” Asuka retorted. “If they step out of line, Monokuma could execute them. For them, there is definitely no going back on their word of loyalty.”

Keiko frowned. “I know, but...that didn’t stop the Yakuza.”

“And now he’s dead,” Hiroko suddenly bit. “I don’t believe that they think they won’t end up like him if they defect to this Insurrection’s Abyss.”

Keiko leaned back, taken by surprise by the outburst. “Hiroko...Why won’t you believe in them? You believed in the Yakuza, r-right?”

“I have had enough of this,” Hiroko responded. “I’ll be on the second floor if anybody needs me.”

Haruki looked surprised. “What? The second floor? Isn’t that locked?”

She smiled. “Not anymore. I checked it after the trial, and it was strangely unlocked. I doubt Monokuma forgot to lock it.”

“Then that must be a sort of reward system,” Tamotsu proposed a theory. “For each class trial we solve, another floor or a part of the school unlocks. How...bittersweet.”

Keiko gulped. “So...Monokuma expects another murder to occur? Because there was way more than just two floors here.”

“Don’t forget the campgrounds!” Yuji pointed out.

Shido twiddled his fingers. He really was just a background character in that entire conversation. He said nothing the entire time, and just let things play out. Why did that make him feel so weird? He was always so quiet, so what was different this time?

Well, anyways, there was now a whole other floor to discover. There could possibly be a way out on it, or at least a clue to what has happened for Hope’s Peak to give up their summer school to a criminal mastermind. But was this just another chapter for despair to unfold?

Knowing his luck, yes.

**Chapter 2: Soaring Over Bloodied Waters**


	17. Chapter 2-2: Soaring Over Bloodied Waters

The second floor looked exactly like the first floor, at a first glance. It was painted the exact same way, and had a hall not unlike one for the dorm rooms. However, the dorm room hall was replaced by a hallway of classrooms instead, complete with a set of gender-specific bathrooms. Plus, there were only three doors in the main room, one of them being locked. That must be the way to the third floor.

Yukio and Yuji were already in the brand new game room. Inside was a wide line of arcade games, but no sightings of any console types. There was also a pool table in the center, alongside a foosball one. On the wall were neon signs of Monokuma either drinking a martini or playing an arcade game or a round of pool.

“Woooow!” Yukio cheered. “This stuff is cool as hell!”

Yuji observed the arcade games. “These are all really retro...They have to be from the early 90’s, at least.”

“I’m surprised,” Yukio added. “The year is 2087, right? Arcade games are way on the decline. Why are these here and not home consoles?”

“M-Maybe to save funds?” Shido suggested. “The summer school wasn’t set to be finalized yet, so blowing a lot of money on it wouldn’t be a smart decision.”

Yukio pouted. “Hey, the recent ACE console isn’t so expensive!”

“Ace?” Shido questioned.

“Ugh! You don’t know of it?” Yuji complained. “Aerodynamics Correlating Entertainment! It’s a badass simulator that puts you right into a simulated video game by calculating you and your environment!”

“So...virtual reality without the headgear?” Shido asked.

“You bet!” Yukio replied. “State of the art gamin’!”

Shido smiled a bit. “You seem really passionate about video games, Yukio.”

Yuji laughed. “Yea. Believe it or not, I’m sometimes the more responsible one.”

Yukio gave a chuckle. “And yet you can’t possibly live without me.”

“Hey, I’m not a baby!” Yuji whined. “Don’t make it sound like I’m clingy!”

“Hey, you’re the reason I haven’t got a girlfriend!” Yukio pointed out.

Yuji made a scoffing noise. “No, it’s ‘cause you’re weird.”

“Is not!”

“Is too!” Yuji stuck his tongue out.

Shido decided to investigate the games while the two argued. While he wasn’t an arcade fan, some entertainment to take his mind off of reality was always a welcome thing. However, there were no dancing games, something that confused Shido a bit. Arcade games were popular for their unique games, like dancing, so why weren’t they here?

Nothing else really interested him in his room. He decided to investigate the rest of the floor, leaving the brothers to bicker and play the games.

In the hallway, he was immediately caught by the arm by Kohaku, who had appeared out of nowhere. “Shi-Shi~!”

“Waaagh!” Shido looked taken off guard. “K-Kohaku! Wh-Where did you come from?”

“The stairs! Duh doy! So, what’s the room you just left?”

Shido looked back at the door. “O-Oh! It’s the game room. There’s...really nothing in there except arcade games and a pool table.”

“Not even a snack machine, like for popcorn or cotton candy?” Kohaku pouted. “What a lame game room!”

“H-Huh? Why would a popcorn and cotton candy dispenser be in a game room? Th-The stickiness would ruin the game panels, wouldn’t they?”

Kohaku hummed. “Well, I grew up in a circus up north, so popcorn and cotton candy is a personal love of mine!”

Shido chuckled a bit. He knew by now that this was a trick to lighten the mood. “Y-Yea, I guess it is, then.”

“Well, then?” Kohaku spun on her heel, hands behind her back. “What else is on this floor?”

“Well...that hallway is just full of classrooms.” Shido then pointed to the locked double doors. “And those doors are just locked, s-so it probably just goes to the third floor, I think.”

“So then the only room we haven’t checked is that one!” Kohaku pointed at the door adjacent to the game room’s. “Am I right, buddy?”

Shido only shrugged a bit. “I, um...I guess.”

Both of them were taken a bit by surprise on what the other room was. It was actually embarrassing, how Shido immediately identified it by the flashing, multicolored lights and sleek floor. It was an indoor rollerskating room, complete with roller skates on the shelves in a corner.

There were already people using it, too. Keiko was busy skating, whooping with delight. Akihiko was sitting on a bench, trying to get on roller skates and mumbling under his breath. And Yoshie was leaning on the railings of the skating arena, watching the Ultimate Party Planner go around to the bass-filled music.

Shido clutched at his ears, wincing. “That song hurts my ears!” He whined.

He glanced over to see Yoshie having looked up at him, just realizing he and Kohaku had entered. A quick nod, and he was already at the boombox in the corner. A few moments later, the song was thankfully turned down enough so the bass didn’t almost shake the walls.

The Ultimate Caretaker then made his way over to the two. “Ah, Shido. Kohaku. I apologize for the music. Are your eardrums okay?”

“Right as rain!” Kohaku chirped. “Though you would have needed to turn it down, anyways. You talk too softly!”

“I apologize, then. I’ve always talked like this, as I have never had the need to raise my voice at others.” Yoshie then smiled. “So how have you been enjoying the second floor?”

“W-Well, it seems to be an entertainment floor,” Shido pointed out. “But while there are windows and a nice view, th-there's no new information on what’s going on, o-or how to get out.”

“I figured,” Yoshie admitted. “The counselors and their master are obviously very thorough in their control of the summer school. Without the Yakuza, I don’t think any information would be found lying around for us to take, like the last time he did so, with the floor plan of the school.”

Kohaku crossed her arms. “So all we gotta do is just enjoy this floor now, and continue to resign ourselves to being trapped here?”

“Until we find some sort of clue on what the goal of Monokuma is, yes,” Yoshie replied. “That is undoubtedly our situation.”

The Ultimate Illusionist stomped her feet in frustration. “Uuugh! I wanna solve the mystery already! It’s eating at my brain and shiz!”

It seems like Kohaku was eager to figure out what was going on in the head of Monokuma rather than focus on the reality of this killing game. Well, whatever had her help them in any way possible. Cooperation was important in this kind of environment.

Shido, however, found his eyes wandering over to Akihiko sitting on a bench, trying to get the shoes on. He seemed to be having more trouble than he should, and was almost on the verge of tears.

“Ah! Akihiko!” Shido panicked. “D-Did you harm yourself? What’s happening?”

Akihiko sniffled. “I...I can’t...”

Oh no. The environment was beginning to press down on him. The strain of the class trial, the death of those he could trust...no wonder Akihiko was quietly crying to himself. He had to have been trying to use the roller skating as escapism, but reality hit him too hard, and...

“A-Akihiko, please don’t give into despair!” Shido declared. “We’ll be fine, alright? N-None of that will ever happen again!”

Akihiko looked up. “H...Huh?”

Shido nodded. “I...I know you don’t believe such hollow words of comfort. I myself think it’s just a bandage for a serious wound. But...saying such things...I make myself feel better, somehow. And maybe...it will make you feel better?”

Akihiko was quiet. He stared at Shido in dumbfounded confusion, tears going down his face. Slowly, his hands went to his side, and his roller skates with untied laces dropped down to the floor.

“Sh-Shido?”

“Yeah?”

“Why...are you comforting me like that over the fact that I don’t know how to tie my shoes?”

Now it was Shido’s turn to be floored. “...What.” Akihiko turned red in the face. “You were crying because...you don’t know how to tie shoes?”

“Y-Yea...it’s totally embarrassing!”

Akihiko was probably one of the most dumb and airheaded high schoolers Shido has ever met.

“You don’t know...how to tie shoelaces,” Shido slowly repeated, worry making way for just being completely blindsided by this information. Akihiko shook his head, rubbing his tears away. “You are Akihiko Kenjiro. The Ultimate Knight. The best in your field, and one smart enough to get into a prestigious high school. And you don’t know how to tie your shoes?!”

“I always had my family do it whenever I had laced shoes...” Akihiko quietly admitted. “I never learned how to do it myself, since I’ve always worn boots and shoes without laces.”

Finally, Shido completely gave up. He grabbed one of the roller skates Akihiko was wearing. Holding onto the laces, he began to tie them up. “Th-Then I guess someone has to do it for you...” he murmured.

Akihiko blushed again. “Sh-Shido! You don’t need to!”

Shido then began to turn red, as well. “I-It’s okay! You were practically crying over this, a-and I can’t just leave you alone to keep failing. Just...watch what I do carefully, okay? And try to do it on your other foot. You cross both ends and tighten...”

Akihiko pulled his other foot up to do the same, murmuring, “Cross both ends and tighten.”

“Th-Then you make a loop out of one, wind the other around it...”

“Loop and wind, uh-huh...”

“Then...you tighten, and you’ll be okay!” Shido lifted his hands to show the now tied roller blade. He then looked up to see Akihiko holding what could be accounted as a mess of a double knot. “Wh-What?!”

“I...I did what you said!”

“How could you make a double knot with those instructions! W-Was I not clear enough?! I-I’m sorry!”

Akihiko looked nervous. “D-Don’t apologize! I...I could probably try to replicate it with the example I have now, so...you don’t need to worry about me anymore!”

“Um...are you sure?”

“Definite! Just have fun on your own terms, okay?”

Shido stood up from crouching down. “O...Okay, Akihiko. Just...try and learn, okay?”

“Alright! Thank you for helping!”

Shido left Akihiko sitting on the bench and trying to replicate the tied knot on his other boot. Even from a distance, he could tell that he was failing to keep it together. He had a long way to go to successfully tie a shoe.

Shido decided to lean on the railings. Kohaku has gotten on at this point, having been quick with putting on her shoes. He watched her and Keiko go around the rink, happily chatting to each other and going side by side.

Keiko noticed Shido and waved. “Hey, Shi-Shi~! Come join us!”

Shido looked surprised. “H...Huh? Me?”

“Yes, you! Come on, it’ll be fun!”

Shido blushed a bit, twiddling his fingers. “I...I don’t know,” he admitted. “I could...crash into you guys.”

Keiko laughed. “The Ultimate Dancer, losing his groove? Nah, I don’t buy it!”

Kohaku went over to Shido at the railings. “Come on, it’ll be fun! And it can help take your mind off the day, you know?”

Shido looked over at Keiko, who was holding onto the railing, grinning and trying not to let the roller blades go out from under her. He then looked back over at Kohaku, who was smiling expectantly and waiting for him to make a move.

“Al...Alright. Just give me a moment to put some skates on.” Shido gave in to their expectant gazes.

Akihiko’s given up at this point, leaving the untied roller skates back on the shelf and leaving. Yoshie was gone as well, so only Shido and the girls were in the room.

Once his roller skates were on, Shido glided into the arena with particular ease. He didn’t fight for balance the same way Keiko did. He just flowed left and right with utmost grace.

“See?” Kohaku pointed it out. “You’re just fine on them!”

Shido only shrugged. “I just know how to keep my balance, th-that's all.”

Kohaku took his hand suddenly. “Come on! Let’s just go around the rink a few times!”

Shido was surprised. “Oh! Um, okay!” 

A few times was an understatement. Shido got caught up into the relaxing turns as well, and lost track of time. He decided to lose himself to the music and just have fun for one single day in this hell.

Minutes went into hours, and before long, the bell made all three stop abruptly. Keiko crashed into Shido’s back, sending them straight to the floor and Keiko’s face implanted in his spine.

_ Ding dong, ding dong... _

_ “Ahem...This is a school announcement! It is now 10 PM, which means the rule of nighttime is in full affect. The dining hall will close in short time, and entering it is forbidden. Well, then! Goodnight! Have beary good dreams...” _

“Ow...” Keiko whined, getting up and rubbing her head. “Sorry, Shido.”

“N-No, it’s okay. I was unprepared, too.” Shido got up. “We’ve...been here that long?”

Kohaku shrugged. “Guess so! But that doesn’t mean we should stop skating around.”

“A-Actually, if it is nighttime, I might as well excuse myself,” Shido apologized. “I usually like to get as much sleep as possible.”

Kohaku obviously knew a different story. However, she shrugged. “Alright, bed lover. You can go, and Keiko and I will have this whole place to ourselves!”

However, Keiko frowned. “Do I have to? I like the idea of sleeping, too.”

Kohaku pouted. “Fine! It’s not even going to be fun when I’m alone, so I guess I’m going to sleep too!”

“That’s...certainly an aggressive way to put it,” Shido said. “It’s almost like guilt-tripping!”

All three of them returned to their dorms together. Wishing goodnight to each other, they entered their bedrooms and locked the doors. All except Shido, who lingered at his door for a moment before exiting it, locking it that time, and going right for the entrance to go outside.

** _Weil Theater_ **

_ “There’s a nice little quote my father always says. “There’s calm before the storm, but a beautiful sunset afterwards.” I think you can figure out what it means, but if you can’t, it means that there is peace before and after war and chaos. I think Father put in the second bit, because I’ve heard the first half before everywhere else. But no matter where I look, the second half doesn’t exist outside of the family. That just makes another reason why Father is so wise and loving!” _


	18. Chapter 2-3: Soaring Over Bloodied Waters

_ Ding dong, ding dong... _

_ “Attention, everybody! It is now eight AM, which means it’s time to get up and embrace the morning! I hope you all have a spectacular day here in Monolith Valley Summer School!” _

Another day in Monolith Valley...and hopefully not Shido’s last. Getting out of bed, he strapped on his heeled boots and made his way out of his dorm room. He didn’t even bother making his bed. He was going to get back in it later today, so what was the point wasting time with it?

Walking into the dining hall, Shido noticed very few people were there already. Some were in the process of entering, just as he was. He also noticed Akihiko already stuffing his face in the back with breakfast foods.

“Eh? Good morning, Shi-Shi!” Yuuki called.

Shido blushed. The nickname has seemed to spread like wildfire. “A-Ah...Good morning, Yuuki.”

Hiroko looked at him in an odd manner. “Shi-Shi...how childish.”

“Because I thought of it!” Kohaku declared.

“What?” Daiki questioned. “You, um...took that as a compliment?”

Shido looked up and around on an instinct of being bored. His eyes then glanced over to the cameras watching them, though he really wasn’t focused on who was watching them. Absentmindedly, he wondered which counselor was watching them at the moment.

All of a sudden, his brain turned on, and his eyes widened. Right, the counselors! He hasn’t seen them since the class trial the other day.

Shido looked around at everyone. “Um...This is an odd question, but...has anyone seen the counselors since the class trial?”

“Well, that certainly is a strange question, but admittedly, no,” Akio said. “They’ve been hiding ever since what happened. That isn’t too different from the norm, but now that you point it out, I cannot help but worry a bit.”

Asuka scowled. “You worry for the enemy?”

“They are not exactly the enemy, as we have clarified!” Kyou declared. “The one controlling both them and Monokuma is our culprit! They have gotten their hands dirty, but they are not the ones to blame!”

“They’re probably hiding...after what happened to their friend.” Haruki frowned. “It’s so sad...they seemed to be really close.”

Shido was almost about to correct Haruki by saying that they were closer than friends. However, he caught himself just in time. The Yakuza told him to never reveal what he knows about Nagito, and by extension, the nature of these counselors.

“A-Anyways, I can’t help but worry about them,” Shido continued. “They are in...sort of the same situation as us, after all.”

Daiki looked saddened. “The Yakuza...He only wanted to help us. And so did Takehiko. The way that both of them died...it was cruel, and something nobody with noble intentions should go through.”

“Yea, and the counselors were extremely close, as Haruki said,” Yuji muttered. “They’re probably just holing themselves up in their rooms and trying to ignore what just happened.”

Keiko’s face suddenly lit up. Her eyes went wide, and a grin appeared on her face. It was almost jarring for Shido to see something so happy abruptly appear in the midst of a heartwrenching conversation.

“Oh, that’s it!” Keiko cheered. “I know what to do!”

“Wait, what?” Yukio asked. “What do ya mean by that, Keiko?”

“Let’s throw a party! A get-well-soon party for them!”

Of course that would be her solution to the problem. She was the Ultimate Party Planner, after all. Every solution to a depressing problem would automatically begin with “party” in her head, not that it was a bad thing.

Hiroko stared at her blankly. “...Are you serious?”

Tamotsu was frowning, as well. “Are you...sure that’s a good idea, Keiko? I mean, I’m not exactly against a party, but...interactions with the students may be the last thing the counselors need right now.”

“Well, what would you rather want?” Keiko questioned. “Our only source of information on what’s going on depressed and disconnected from us, or at least attempting to form a bridge with them?”

Tamotsu went quiet, watching Keiko. His face seemed to display the feeling of a bad idea. However, he didn’t say anything against her, and his frown softened the longer the silence went on.

“Still, it is not exactly the best idea to throw a party, of all things,” Yoshie said. “For people, recovering after a death of a loved one requires time to themselves.”

Too late, Keiko was already walking to the corner. She was staring at the camera in the corner of the room. Before anyone can stop her, she called, “Hey! Counselor! Can you hear me? Nod the camera if yes!”

Silence fell upon the dining hall. Everybody watched the camera for a few seconds. When nothing happened, they looked back at Keiko still intently watching it.

“Like I said, time is-” Yoshie tried again.

A mechanical noise made him shut up, and everybody looked. The camera was pointing down, then up. It was simulating a nod.

“Cool! So you heard about the party plans, right?” Another slow nod. “Do you accept?”

Shido expected the camera to imitate somebody shaking their head instead of another nod. However, albeit with a much longer pause, as if considering this, the camera imitated a third nod, still watching Keiko.

“Good! Then we’ll refurnish the second floor and dedicate it entirely to your get-well-soon party! We’ll rock on throughout the night!” 

Akio was surprised. “The...entire night? But what about staying out at nighttime?”

Kohaku crossed her arms. “Actually, Shido and I have tested multiple times this so-called prohibition shiz. We can go throughout the summer school grounds as we please, as long as we do not enter the dining hall or any other locked areas. So by all accounts, we can rock on into the night!”

“But...none of us agreed to help set up this party!” Yuji complained.

Hiroko scowled. “Yuji, it is the least we can do, seeing as a close friend of theirs has, oh I don’t know, perished.”

Shido looked surprised. “Ah? Hiroko, y-you...”

“I hate you,” Hiroko simply said. “I don’t hate much other people.”

“You...don’t?”

“It’s time for you to shut up, peacock,” she suddenly cut him off.

“O...Of course! Sorry!”

Tamotsu frowned. “Then I guess that settles it. We’ll have to dedicate the entire floor to this crazy party Keiko has in mind.”

Keiko rubbed her hands. “Already on it! We split into two teams, one for each room!”

Yukio immediately raised his hands. “Dibs on bein’ in the game room!”

Yuji’s hand went up in the air as well. “Same here! Where big brother goes, I go!”

Keiko clapped her hands together. “I do want it to be even, but...we have odd numbers.”

Shido raised his hand without thinking. “Well...c-could I help both teams with what they do? Like...you can trade me around?”

Keiko immediately squeed, grinning at him. “Oh, you’re a genius! Yes, we can do just that! So, I guess Yukio, Yuji, uh...Kohaku, Kyou, Daiki, Akihiko, and, hrm...Hiroko can set up stuff in the game room! The rest of us will be in the roller skating rink!”

“Well, I’m fine with that,” Yoshie said. “Anywhere I can be useful is fine by me.”

Asuka shrugged. “Then that settles it. I will be at the skating rink, if anybody needs me.” He began to walk off.

Keiko was beelining to the storage. “We better try and find some supplies, or at least stuff we can use to make DIY streamers and party poppers!”

“Eh? How do you make DIY party poppers?” Yuuki asked, following her like a lost child.


	19. Chapter 2-4: Soaring Over Bloodied Waters

Shido decided to go help Asuka first. Peeking inside of the skating rink, he noticed Asuka immediately, lifting crates back and forth.

“A...suka?” Shido questioned.

Asuka nodded in hello. “Hello there, Shido. Did you require something?”

“Well...I wanted to help you, if that is alright.”

Asuka thought for a moment. “Well...to be honest, I can’t imagine you lifting these boxes...Are you sure you wish to aid me?”

“I-Is there a problem?”

“No, not at all. I’m just worried you might hurt yourself.” Asuka shrugged. “However, I will not stop you from helping me bring in supply crates for the party.”

Shido happily agreed, but realized there was reason to Asuka’s worry. The crates were much heavier than Shido anticipated. They had looked so light when Asuka was carrying them two at a time.

Asuka immediately made him carry the smaller boxes, and even those were a struggle. Shido had to use both hands, which quickly grew tired and sore. He really needed to work out more often. He was just skin and bones, basically.

At the end of the hour, both of them took a break, though it was more for Shido than Asuka. The Ultimate Dancer was basically breathless while Asuka was as stoic as ever.

Shido couldn’t tell if Asuka was irritated at him potentially slowing down supply transport or not. He decided that maybe giving him a gift would potentially make him have a more lightened spirit. Going into his pockets, he looked for anything that could please the Ultimate Weapons Expert.

Luckily, he found something, a red and worn out scarf. It was actually a scarf that used to belong to a masked hero. It's tattered and worn due to the countless battles it's been through, however, so it’s just an antique now.

Asuka looked as Shido held it out. “A scarf?” He questioned.

“Y-Yea! It’s an old version of-”

He took it eagerly. “Wow! Is this actually the real thing? That’s amazing!” He held it close to his chest, grinning. “Thank you so much, Shido!” He paused, then cleared his throat. “I mean...thanks, I guess.”

Shido smiled in return. Asuka seemed to love such a gift. In fact, he even showed the glee of a child. Perhaps the stern, but soft outlook was just a mask to hide a cheery demeanor?

Shido began to think. “Hey...Asuka? I-I was wondering...how did you get your Ultimate title?”

Asuka looked surprised. “Ah? You don’t know?” He paused. “Well, to be honest, I do not know how you gained your Ultimate talent, as well...Very well. It is a story I do particularly like. It makes me feel good about myself.”

Shido was interested, now. “It does?”

“It was a luxurious hotel overseas. Five star, I think. My family was on vacation at that time, observing the different warrioristic cultures in that country. We were planning to stay there for the night. However, as we were checking in...about five men broke in and shot up the place. Thankfully, nobody died, but I believed it was very frightening for others.”

“A-And it wasn’t scary for you?” Shido asked.

“Well, it did startle me, but I knew we could take on those men,” Asuka answered. “My family is very involved in fighting, and we were very strong.”

“Did you fight them?”

“Of course. All of us overcame them quite easily, and disarmed them. However, one had already armed a bomb, and were about to detonate it. We were on quite a time limit. Panicking, I got everybody behind cover while I attempted to defuse the bomb.”

“D-Did you succeed?”

Asuka stared at Shido quietly.

“...Is that a yes?”

“I’m alive and not hideously scarred, so yes. I lived. By some means of adrenaline or calling upon lessons involving explosives, I successfully disarmed it. Everybody hailed me as a hero immediately. And I looked at my father, and all I saw was...unending pride. I felt so accomplished in that moment...and a month later, Hope’s Peak approached me with an admission to their academy.”

“Were you scared?”

“...Honestly? I was beyond terrified. That bomb would have blown up in my face should I make one wrong move. And...all I could think of is...from all that time back...” Asuka looked nervous all of a sudden.

“Asuka?” Shido asked.

“...F...Forgive me. I do not think I can continue that sentence just yet. I would need to mentally prepare myself, first.”

“Prepare...Um, okay.”

Shido left Asuka alone. He was beginning to shake, as if remembering some horrific event. Learning the story of how he gained his Ultimate talent was actually quite interesting, but he didn’t want to press further if it brought up bad memories. Regardless, it feels like he’s gotten a bit closer to Asuka from that.

Shido decided to check the game room, next. Everybody there was as busy as one would expect. He decided to begin looking for somebody having trouble with their assignments.

To his amusement, it was Yuji. The boy was climbing up on arcade games to try and hang streamers from the walls. Yukio was keeping an eye on him to make sure he wouldn’t fall, but procrastinating on his job to do so.

Shido walked up. “D-Do you need some help?”

Yuki smiled. “Hey, Shi-Shi! Yea, a bit. I want to make sure Yuji doesn’t fall while puttin’ up streamers, so I’ve been watchin’ him. But I’ve been gettin’ a hard time on flakin’ from my duties...”

“Well, you have a reason to do so!” Shido pointed out.

“...Nah, I would have procrastinated anyways,” Yukio admitted. “Though I do really need to get back to work.”

“Then I can watch Yuji for you,” Shido said. “Is that okay?”

“Sure is!” Yukio exclaimed. “Thanks a bunch, dude!”

“Hey, Yukio.” Hiroko called from across the room. “Can you get back to work?”

“You got it!” Yukio scampered off, leaving Shido to make sure Yuji won’t topple over the arcade game or potentially bring it down with him.

Yuji was surprisingly nimble. He leapt across arcade games and scattered streamers across the wall for decoration. Shido continuously followed him so he could catch him with either his arms or his body if he toppled down.

Eventually, Yuji stretched out over an arcade case like a cat. “Whew! I’m beat!”

“I-It’s quite impressive that you can jump so far between each of the games,” Shido said.

“Not really,” Yuji admitted. “I just got those springy genes, y’know?”

Yuji certainly looked tired. Maybe some food will help him. Shido went through his prizes from the Monomono Machine to see if there was something Yuji would like.

He pulled out a ramune bottle from his pocket. This bottle looks to be lemon-flavored. A marble plugs the opening of the uniquely designed bottle. The bottle can also be reused if you bring it to the ramune store. Shido wondered for a moment who came up with the ramune bottle idea.

“H-Here.” Shido held it up to Yuji. “You might want this.”

“Ooh! Ramune!” Yuji took it, and looked at the bottle. “Hm...I prefer cotton candy-flavored, but lemon is good! Thanks, Shido!”

Yuji didn’t like it that much. He was probably just trying to soften the blow on Shido. He didn’t mind. He’ll just remember to not give Yuji lemon-flavored ramune again.

As Yuji sipped, he looked at Shido. “So? What’s the scoop, man?”

Shido looked confused. “The...scoop?”

“Your interests! Duh! What’s your favorite animal? Favorite food? Favorite color?”

Shido stepped back a bit from the bombardment. “U-Uuuuuh...Uum...Tigers, anything sweet, and purple!”

“Tigers?” Yuji looked confused. “Wow, Never imagined you would like tigers. You seem to be more of a Persian cat guy. And I couldn’t come close to the whole sweet thing. I thought you would want to be more on the healthy side, with your dancer abilities and all. But I definitely see your favorite color being purple! It’s all over you!” Yuji laughed. “Now it’s your turn! Guess mine!”

“Wh-What?! I-I...!”

“Let’s make it a game!” Yuji declared. “You try and figure out my favorite color from how I describe it!”

“U….Uuuum...O...kay?”

“Cool! Now, let’s see...I am cowardice. I am amusement, but sometimes gloomy to others. However, in a very special location, I am connected to wisdom and sickness. What am I?”

Cowardice, amusement, gloominess, wisdom, and sickness...With that description, Yuji’s favorite color had to be...

Red

Purple

**>>Yellow**

“Y...Yellow?” Shido guessed.

“Yeaaaa! Right on the money! That’s right! My favorite color is yellow! And you wanna know why?”

Shido looked surprised. “There’s...a reason?”

Yuji shrugged. “Sort of. It’s the color of the first HEADSHOT-brand jacket that was made for fan merch. Of course, those aren’t made anymore, but their memory still lives on. And that’s why yellow is my favorite color. To me, it stands for a special sense of accomplishment.”

“That’s...nice,” Shido replied. “I just like the color purple.”

“Aw, ya don’t need a reason to like something!” Yuji exclaimed. “Personally, to me, purple’s a cool color! Though it’s kind of a girl color...”

Shido blushed. “N-No it isn’t! Purple can be a very masculine color!”

Yuji seemed to be quite a fun-loving person, but one that takes a sort of honor in his accomplishments. And what surprised Shido was that he was actually a bit insightful, seeming to have observed Shido. He guessed that was what came with being the Ultimate Protege. Regardless, he feels that he and Yuji have gotten a bit closer.

Shido decided to double back to the skating rink, leaving the game room. He wanted to see if Keiko needed any help whatsoever.

In the skating rink, Keiko was monitoring everybody else, holding a clipboard. Shido had no idea where she got it.

“H-Hey, Keiko?”

Keiko whipped around so fast, Shido was worried if his hair was on fire. “Oh! Shi-Shi! Hey there, buddy! Do you need something?”

“U...Um...I was going to ask if...you needed help?”

“Oh, sweet!” Keiko shoved her clipboard into Shido’s hands. “You can watch over everybody while I put in my own touch on things!”

Shido stumbled back a bit from the force. “Wh-Keiko?!”

“Make sure everyone does their job, will ya?” Keiko immediately skipped over to the skating rink.

“Wait! I...Aw, man...”

Shido didn’t really know what to do at first. He stared at the clipboard, noting that Keiko had horrible handwriting. Could she herself even read this? It was like you gave a chicken a pen and spread birdseed over a piece of paper.

Still, he tried to make sure mostly everybody was doing their job. All he did was look. It felt awkward to come up to them and question the people on topics he didn’t know about. He didn’t even know what he was supposed to be asking about.

He then just decided to take out one of the books from the Monomono Machine and read it. It was a sort of kid spell book called “Dreams Come True”. It was apparently a book that contained old magic gathered from all over the country and collected into an easy to read volume for kids. Any dangerous spells have reportedly been removed, so only love spells are left.

As he read, he noticed Keiko peeking over his shoulder and reading along with him. He jumped a bit, but forced himself to not scream out of fear.

“...That’s a nice book,” Keiko commented.

“D...Do you want it?” Shido held it out.

Keiko took it. “You sure?”

“Um...Y-Yea-”

“Yoink!” Keiko shoved it away. “I’ll be reading that soon! It’s all glittery and stuff! Totally my style!”

Shido came to the conclusion that it being a sort of a spell book went right over Keiko’s head. However, he just shrugged it off and was happy that she would just enjoy the book regardless.

“Eyo, Shi-Shi?” Keiko questioned, sitting down next to him. “Mind telling me about your family?”

Shido paused. “Wh...Huh?”

“Yea! I told you about mine, so isn’t it fair if you tell me about yours?”

Shido frowned. “Well...um...what do you...exactly want me to say?”

“Well, where did you grow up, for starters?”

“Um...I was raised in a pretty high-class family. The Norihisas are quite wealthy from dabbling in the stock market and capitalizing on multi-billionaire companies.”

“Oh, so are your parents, like, CEOs?” Keiko asked inquisitively.

“I wouldn’t say that,” Shido admitted. “More like investors.” In a murmur, he added, “And manipulators.”

“What was that?”

“N-Nothing! Anyways...I’m an only child.”

Keiko frowned. “Why did you hesitate on that?”

“To be honest, I...have always wanted a sibling. A big brother or sister that would protect me. That’s what they always do, right?”

Keiko smiled. “Yea...big siblings are always the brave and tough ones. And they protect the little ones, even if they don’t think they do and think that they hate them for being more spoiled and such. At least, that’s what I think. The big brothers should always put the little sister’s life before theirs, right?”

“Wh-What if the little sister doesn’t deserve to live?” Shido suddenly asked.

Keiko gasped. “Shido Norihisa! What would make you think of such a sentence?”

Shido tried to save face. “I-It’s rhetorical!”

“...Riiight...well...I think that no matter what, the older sibling has to have their sibling’s back! Because they’re family, y’know?”

“Yea, I...I guess you have a point...”

Keiko seemed to be an extreme family girl. She must have developed that from her family being the only thing she had in a poor environment. Shido was confident that he understood her a bit more from their conversation.

He probably had enough time to help one more person. Getting up, he began to look around, wondering if anybody needed his assistance at the visible moment. When nobody in the skating rink seemed to need help, he went over to the game room.

There, he saw a rather interesting sight. Kyou was arranging, then rearranging party equipment with a concentrated expression. Shido watched him shuffle around the tiny plastic kazoos and decorative mini saxophones.

He walked up to Kyou. “Are...you alright?”

“Shido, please help me. I think I am going mad. Are these different sizes of kazoos and saxophones?”

Shido looked. “Um...no? I don’t see-”

“Look!” Kyou suddenly pointed. “This saxophone is more curled that this one! I cannot be the only one who sees it!”

He leaned closer. “No, I...don’t see any difference.”

“Then look closer! I cannot be going mad, can I?!”

For the next fifteen minutes, Kyou tried to point out differences in the kazoos and saxophones. Whenever Shido denied there was such a thing, Kyou protested that there was. He gave up in the end and began agreeing half heartedly the existence of the alternate saxophones, to Kyou’s joy.

Shido’s gift this time was a sort of cassette. However, it could actually self-destruct. Once you record a message onto it, it sets up a chemical reaction that will destroy the tape after a few seconds after it's played. Shido would have seen if it was true, but then again...it would destroy itself if it did, thus wasting it.

“Hey, Kyou.” Shido held out the cassette. “This cassette apparently internally melts itself once its recorded message is played. I-I thought you would like it.”

Confused, Kyou took it. “When...will I ever use it?” He questioned. “What is the point?”

Shido looked embarrassed. “Well, I...I...”

Kyou still put it away. “I will still take it! I do not want to harm your fragile feelings, Shido!”

He felt positively embarrassed. First he upsets Kyou with the mismatched saxophones, and now he gives him a horrible gift that salts the wound? Shido felt like a failure of a so-called ally. Not a friend. He didn’t believe he could ever have friends.

“So, pray tell, Shido! What are your dance routines like?”

Shido looked surprised. “Huh? My...routines?”

“Of course! You are the Ultimate Dancer, right? I must know your abilities! What do you specialise in? Salsa? Tango? Cultural dances?”

“I...I’ll tell you only if you don’t laugh,” Shiro replied.

“Of course I will not! Why would I?”

“Well...it’s because...it’s...because it’s...” Shido bowed his head in shame. “Bal...let.”

Kyou paused. “Ballet?”

“Yea...b-ballet. That’s my forte.”

“Ah, yes! I should have known from your small form! You would look excellent doing ballet!”

Shido looked surprised. “H-Huh?”

“The males in ballet wear tutus as well, correct?”

“I-I mean, sometimes-”

“When is the last time you performed?”

Shido began to look more panicked. “A...A long...time ago...”

“Alright, then! I will begin planning immediately!”

As Kyou began to think, Shido was confused. “P-Planning? For what?”

“Let’s see...backup dancers perhaps will be required...We will need a good costume for you...and the advertisements will have to be bold and eyecatching!”

Shido’s face went red. “Wh-Whaaaaat?! A dance recital?! N-No! Wait, Kyou!”

“Relax, Shido! As the Ultimate Organizer, I have it all under control! I’ll help get your name in the big leagues!”

“W-Wait! Th-This is-!”

“I apologize, but you must leave me alone now! I will come back to you once the rough draft is complete!” Before Shido could get another word in, Kyou walked away, leaving him there.

This was bad. Really bad. But Shido did learn a bit on why exactly Kyou was the Ultimate Organizer. And he still has the feeling that he’s gotten a little closer to him from that.


	20. Chapter 2-5: Soaring Over Bloodied Waters

Shido was able to count that he helped four people that day with the party preparations. However, even if it is a small number, it was a lot of work. He didn’t even notice that the time passed by so quickly.

He stood in the main room of the second floor. He was looking through the window now. The sky had become noticeably darker, now dipping into violet territory.

“Ah...” he murmured in a low tone to himself. “It’s close to nighttime, now.”

It suddenly struck him then. Could he not have the chance to visit Nagito tonight? The party would continue well on into the night, free of most restrictions, as food and drinks would be moved from the dining hall into the two party rooms. Leaving in the midst of it, then returning a few minutes later would be too suspicious.

Perhaps he could visit now, without anyone really paying attention. But it was still a few hours until nighttime. The two have always agreed on meeting at that time only. Would Nagito even be there if he went now?

Shido nearly fainted when Keiko suddenly appeared. “Hey, maybe your imaginary friend will just come at the sound of your voice!”

“AAAAH!” Shido lunged back, screaming. Keiko blinked, surprised he had been in such deep thought. “K...Keiko! Please refrain from ever doing that again!”

“Oh! I’m so sorry!” Keiko apologized. “I didn’t mean to scare you at all.”

Shido gulped. “Ehem...Imaginary friend, huh?”

“Oh, that was just my psychic powers in motion! Doo-wee-doooo~!” Keiko laughed at his expression. “Nah, it was just a lucky guess! I’m just jesting with you!”

Perhaps Nagito was still a secret, after all. Shido let his shoulders slump a bit, relaxing. “Ah...Such a guess scared me, that’s all.”

“Anyways, the party’s all set up,” Keiko explained. “The guests of honor will be here any minute now, so I came to usher you right into the roller rink, where we’ll meet them!”

“...Hey, Keiko? You and Kohaku are...so similar.”

Keiko looked surprised. “Oh, well...I wouldn’t say that, actually. There are some subtle differences between us. Kohaku knows when to get serious, but I’m just bubbly and airheaded all the time! I mean, she did pull through for us in the class trial, just like you did.”

The Ultimate Party Planner was right. There were times that Kohaku actually scared Shido in very undertone ways. Tiny changes in her speech, hints that she may know more than she lets on, and even just a blank stare at times...what does she really hide behind her face? What goes on in her head? As the Ultimate Illusionist, does her talent extend to acting?

“Uh, you alright?” Keiko asked. “You’re dozing off over there!”

“Oh!” Shido came back to reality abruptly. “I-I’m sorry. I was just...thinking about the differences you mentioned.” He jumped on the opportunity to change the subject. “S-So, the roller rink, right?”

“That’s the one!” Keiko declared. “Come on, they should be here soon!”

Honestly, Shido did not want to see the counselors right now. The subtraction of the Yakuza from their ranks would haunt him to no end. It was impossible to think of them without remembering his ashen remains just laying there after his execution.

And there was also Nagito. Shido needed to vent, but didn’t trust anybody except him. Anybody else would just make fun of him and taunt him. Nagito listened very well, and loved to talk also.

But he had no chance. He would just be dragged back to the roller rink, probably unwilling. Keiko wasn’t going to let him anywhere near the stairs for a while.

“O...kay.” Shido nodded. “Let’s go.”

“Woo-hoooo~! That’s the spirit!” Like Shido expected, she grabbed his wrist, preventing any escape.

Everybody was already gathered in the roller rink when both of them entered. The multicolored lights were on, but the jukebox was currently silent. Tables of party snacks were in the corner, and streamers hung from the ceilings and shelves.

“Hey, hey!” Akihiko called. “You finally came, Shido!”

“A-Ah!” Shido realized. “Was I the last one here?”

“Indeed, you were later than us!” Kyou declared. “Please watch the clock more carefully next time!”

Daiki smiled. “But I will give you the benefit of the doubt. You seem like an introvert to me, so you probably had to mentally prepare yourself for a loud and crowded party.”

Shudo slowly nodded. “Y-Yea,” he lied. “Just collecting myself.”

Kyou was surprised. “Ah! Forgive me! I did not know that was a characteristic of introverts! I’ve never befriended many of them in my life!”

“Geesh, you talk too loud...” Yuji stuck a finger in his ear, as if trying to drown out Kyou.

“I would rather take Yoshie’s more quiet, subdued mannerisms,” Hiroko murmured. “You just act as if a stick is up your ass.”

“My rear end is wood-free, Hiroko!” Kyou proudly said.

“It’s an expression, idiot.”

“So when are they gonna be here?” Yukio asked. “The counselors are takin’ their sweet time.”

Tanotsu frowned. “Maybe they changed their minds on coming to Keiko’s party, seeing how...happy it would be. People in a state of depression tend to avoid such colorful things.”

“Psh, nah!” Keiko retorted. “The camera nodded, so I’m definite they wanna come! They might just be getting ready!”

Asuka scowled. “Ah, yes. They would love to come to a party held by the people that murdered their comrade.”

At once, everyone went quiet. A few people hung their heads in shame, but most of them looked at Asuka, baffled.

“What...do you mean by that?” Akihiko questioned.

“Well, think about it. Technically, we killed the Yakuza by voting for him as the culprit and exposing him as a traitor to Monokuma. Either way, he would have been killed at that point. We all murdered him by proxy, did we not?”

Haruki frowned. “But...if we didn’t...wouldn’t we have died?”

“That wouldn’t be something the loved ones of the deceased would think if when they blame you for what happened.” Asuka only looked away from everyone. “They would only focus on the negatives of the event, not the motive or the cause of how the floodgates opened. That is the problem with the term ‘morally gray’.”

“Morally...gray?” The term sounded familiar to Shido.

“A person who sometimes does the wrong things for the right reasons, and vice versa,” Tamotsu said. “Most people only see them as negative influences, not caring about what drives them or what they are sacrificing for a goal that possibly helps others.”

“As a wise man once said, ‘the line between the light and the dark is so very thin’,” Yukio stated. “‘Do you know which side you are on?’”

Shido paused, looking at everyone. Morally gray...Tamotsu would definitely apply to that. And the Yakuza having sacrificed both Takehiko and himself to save everyone else is also a morally gray action. But who else here is that way? Who else is fueled by good motives to do horrible things?

Kohaku was quiet again. She was staring at Shido’s face, as if watching for a reaction. Once he noticed she was watching him, she immediately looked away, not making eye contact.

“They’re still not here...” Akio hummed. “Should we just begin without them?”

“Yes, they are indeed very late!” Kyou agreed. “Perhaps they are not coming at all?”

“Oh, no, students!” The Princess’s voice broke through. “We were just deciding on a few things!”

Everybody’s head turned to the doorway. The Princess had her hand on the now-opened door, looking at them. The Mechanic was looking over her shoulder, watching them as well.

“Hey, guys!” The Mechanic said. “Sorry for the hold-up!”

“Yaaaay~!” Keiko cheered. “They finally arrived!”

The Athlete slipped in. “So, the entire floor is dedicated to this party of yours? You spent the entire day setting this all up for us?”

“Well...Yea!” Keiko said. “You really needed a pep party, didn’t you?”

“While a party is really not how to cheer up somebody whose loved one died...” The Mechanic murmured.

“We should always interact with our beloved students,” the Princess interrupted. “That is the role of counselor.”

“You technically aren’t counselors,” Hiroko coldly remarked. “You’re just supervisors to this killing game.”

“But still, befriending you all is the least we can do,” the Princess replied. “Right, you all?”

“Hmph.” Hope looked away. “Right, I guess.”

“You don’t sound so eager for this,” Akio remarked.

The Princess only smiled. “Oh, ignore him, students! He’s always grumpy like this!”

Anybody could tell a mile away. This was all a happy act to hide their heartbreak from the events of the last few days. While the Princess and the Athlete seemed to have little trouble keeping it together, the Mechanic and Hope seemed much closer to dropping the mask altogether.

The Athlete seemed to notice Shido’s staring, and immediately began to move. “So, you guys got any food? A former Ultimate Gymnast like me has gotta keep their carbs up!”

“Gymnast?!” Yukio questioned comically. “I thought you were the former Ultimate Athlete!”

Tamotsu was only partially focused on the conversation. “In the back,” he droned, ignoring the Ultimate Gunner.

When the counselors began to move, and small talk began to crop up, people began to initiate the party. While some got on the rink, others went across the floor to get to the game room. Hope and the Mechanic were right behind them, abandoning the girls in the rink.

“Shido.” Tamotsu grabbed Shido’s wrist. “We need to talk.”

“U-Uwaaagh!” Shido looked shocked. “Ta...motsu?!”

“S-Sorry for scaring you!” Tamotsu looked apologetic. “I just needed to speak with you for a moment.” He gestured with his head to the door. “Come outside for a moment?”

“Um...alright.” Shido nodded. With the grip on his arm softening, he let it drop back to his side.

The main room of the second floor was completely empty. Only music and people talking existed in the hall besides Tamotsu and Shido, filtering out through the doors of both entertainment rooms.

Tamotsu leaned against the wall, watching Shido with a sharp eye. “Shido, you can talk to me.”

“H-Huh? What?” Shido looked surprised.

“Something’s been on your mind. I don’t think you know this, but you aren’t really one of the best liars. So it’s obvious you’re hiding something from us.”

“W-Well...I...”

Tamotsu shook his head. “Sorry. I’m approaching this the wrong way, so I’ll go a different route. Shido, is what you’re hiding from us able to benefit or hinder us? Please answer honestly.”

Shido licked his dry lips, immediately clasping his hands together. He looked downwards, unable to look the Ultimate Anti-Hero in the eye.

Instead of pressuring him, Tamotsu spoke softly. “It’s okay. Take your time, Shido.”

“I-It would...definitely benefit us,” Shido admitted. “But...I was sworn into secrecy.”

“So is that what your short conversation with the Yakuza in the class trial before his execution was?” Tamotsu suddenly realized. “Him...swearing you to not tell anybody of this?”

“I-I’m sorry, but...” Shido began to sniffle, tears forming in his eyes. “I can’t tell you. I’ll be going against my word. And...Monokuma might hear what I say, and...”

Tamotsu said nothing, but reached out. Shido flinched, expecting him to act on his obvious hate for the Ultimate Dancer for once and smack him. Instead, he cupped Shido’s face with his hand, a thumb beginning to rub his cheek gently. Shido looked surprised at the tiny gesture of affection.

“I understand,” he murmured. “It’s probably risky enough to talk about it here, right?” Shido slowly nodded. “Then let us pretend this conversation never happened. But I want you to know that I am here for you. I’ll protect you.”

He looked at him with wide eyes. Why does Tamotsu keep lying through his teeth? Everybody hates Shido, right? Tamotsu was just manipulating him to later betray him and leave him to die, wasn’t he? That was the whole point of this entire game. To kill or be killed.

“Why...do you keep lying? I-I know you hate me.”

Tamotsu paused, his face falling. “But...I don’t hate you. Why would you think that?”

“Because...this is normal. People pretend to be your friend, and use you, then discard you once your use is over. S-So you can stop lying. I know what you’re trying to do, and...” Shido pulled Tamotsu’s hand away. “I won’t fall for it again.”

“Wait, Shido-!” Tamotsu looked worried and concerned, one of the many masks people knew how to pull so easily.

“I’ll be in the party.” Shido slipped by him, entering the room again. He didn’t dare look Tamotsu in the eyes, only holding a hollow victory of seeing through his stupid tricks.

Inside of the roller rink, the food was already depleted, and the wild phase of the party has begun. The Athlete was holding the entire punch bowl, and multiple students were cheering her on, shouting ‘Chug!’. Yoshie was trying to stop her as she was drinking straight from the bowl, a gleam of challenge in her eyes.

“C-Counselor!” Yoshie exclaimed, though his voice didn’t really raise in volume, so it was hard to hear him. “You’ll get sick if you drink all of that!”

“I haven’t let loose in a week!” The Athlete cheered. “You’ve unleashed the beast with this damn good punch!”

The Princess, meanwhile, was much more proper. She was sitting at one of the tables, holding a cup and politely drinking out of it. A plate of cupcakes from the table were laid out before her, and she was now sharing them with Akio.

“Ah, I never knew that caring for your hair had so many steps, and I’m the former Ultimate Princess!” She looked surprised at him.

Akio chuckled. “Yes, it can become quite complicated. But taking care of your hair is important. For many people, it is just as valuable as any other body part.”

“But lather, rinse, repeat...wouldn’t that accumulate quite the bill for products?”

Akio hummed, twirling a straw between his fingers. “I myself never have worried about money, to be frank. I always had enough for everything, so why bother counting the bills when I can just progress forward in life?”

Shido decided to dissociate himself from everyone. Instead, he leaned on the railing of the rink, watching the few people on it go by him. None of them paid attention to him, and just talked to each other.

However, his attention was immediately grabbed by a yelp. Shido looked up to see Kyou almost doing the splits right in the middle of the rink. The only thing keeping him from falling was him clutching to Daiki’s sweater and relying on his sheer muscle to keep them both up.

Daiki had his hands on Kyou’s waist in a second. “K-Kyou! Are you alright?”

“My...my feet gave out from under me,” Kyou murmured, pulling himself up slowly. “I told you I am not good at this rollerblading stuff...”

“And I told you to hold onto me, so you’re still okay!” Daiki smiled, letting Kyou pull himself back upright by gripping his shoulders.

Kyou had a bright blush on his face. “Y...Yes. Thank you, Daiki.”

Shido watched them, face falling into jealousy. How come they got along so well? They probably talked bad about him behind his back, on how weak and stupid he was.

“Shido.” Shido’s head whipped to see Hiroko. “Are you available for a chat?”

“H-Hiroko! Ma’am! Y...Yes, I am.”

“I noticed you stormed into the room after you went outside to talk with Tamotsu. Did you both discuss something that rubbed you the wrong way?”

Shido looked down. “Wh-Why do you want to know? You’ll just...talk about it behind my back, like everyone else does.”

Hiroko only frowned. “I understand you saying that about me, but...everyone?” She looked surprised. “Oh, that must be it.”

“H-Huh?”

“Your lack of trust in others and rampant paranoia. That has what made you construct this shield of timidity and femininity around you. That has what made you such a stupid little peacock.” Hiroko sighed. “Well then, drop it.”

Shido blinked. “I’m...sorry?”

“Stop being so paranoid, and get some confidence. I hate that you are so feminine, but I can’t do anything about it. That is only something that you can fix, peacock.”

Hiroko was...encouraging him to be a better person? Of course, she was saying it in her own cruel way, but...Shido got the message loud and clear.

“Hey, um...Hiroko? Why do you hate feminine boys?”

Hiroko only scowled. “Why do you need to question my motives when it doesn’t concern you?”

“I-I think it may-” Shido tried.

He was interrupted by the music abruptly shutting off. On cue, everybody stopped what they were doing, and looked at the jukebox, trying to see if it was broken or someone just shut it off.

Indeed, the Princess’s hand was on it. She was looking up at everyone, confirming that the students were looking at her now.

“Um...” The Princess looked nervous about something. “Are you all listening? I’m sorry to interrupt the good mood, but we have an announcement.”

Hiroko frowned. “We can continue this later. This seems important to the game.”

Still interested in the game and how it will go? Hiroko has a twisted sense of curiosity.

“What’s wrong?” Keiko asked in a concerned tone. “Did someone...?”

The Athlete panicked. “N-No! Nobody’s dead yet!” She paused when everyone immediately looked only more concerned. “Yea...yet. This is...related.”

“There’s a...reason we were so late,” the Princess explained. “Monokuma had to talk to us for a minute. He had heard about Keiko’s party, and thought that was a perfect gathering for this announcement.”

Related to a murder, but nothing has happened? Shido had a horrible feeling collecting in his guts. Could it be that...?

“Monokuma wants us to introduce a new motive,” the Athlete finally said.


	21. Chapter 2-6: Soaring Over Bloodied Waters

A new motive...to influence another killing. The day was so busy, Shido actually forgot they were in a killing game for at least a few hours.

“A...nother...motive,” Daiki said slowly, eyes going wide. “I completely forgot...”

Yoshie looked stressed out. “We’re going to be...influenced to kill again?”

Keiko made a nervous scoff. “N-No! We’re better than that, guys!”

The Princess only continued, having an expression of guilt. “Hope and the Mechanic should probably be telling the motive to the others in the game room now. So we better get on with this before you all just tune us out.”

“W-Wait!” Akio exclaimed. “Does it have to be this way? If you defect from Monokuma now, we’ll accept you! We’ll forgive you for siding with him in the first place!”

“It really isn’t that simple,” the Athlete only replied. “There’s more than just words connecting our loyalty to Monokuma. It’s a feeling, deep within us, that drives us this way. Like some sort of magic spell, you know?”

Hiroko paused. “I haven’t sensed magic this whole trip, so that cannot be it.”

“Then maybe your magic just doesn’t work here?” Akio questioned.

“Quiet, you noble, pompous airhead.”

Akio gulped. “Yes, ma’am!”

“But...what is this motive?” Kyou asked. “Is it as bad as last time? Lying about death threats?”

The Princess clasped her hands. “It does involve death threats, but no lying. It’s called the Suicide Paradox.”

Shido looked surprised. “The...Suicide Paradox? What does that mean?”

“All of you have been given one of the other students, detailed in your Monobook,” the Athlete explained. “If you choose to do so, you can kill yourself and cover it up as a murder. If everyone in the class trial believes it is a murder, that person in your Monobook will go free, but nobody else in the student body will die for guessing incorrectly.”

“However, you could kill someone and frame it as a suicide,” the Princess continued. “If that is the case, if it is decided to be a suicide, it will be considered the same thing as guessing incorrectly in a normal trial, and the blackened will leave as everybody else perishes. That is the case of the Suicide Paradox motive.”

Everybody looked around at each other. Would they truly decide to die for somebody else, randomly chosen? Or would somebody use this motive as a cover to genuinely murder to save their own skin?

“That’s...” Yoshie gasped.

“Murder-inducing? That’s the point.” The Athlete didn’t look too happy about having said this to the students.

“But...I thought we had become friends!” Keiko exclaimed. “We were all so happy a moment ago! Why are you doing this?”

“We’ve overstayed our welcome,” the Princess merely said. “Please enjoy he party without us, students.”

“Wait!” Shido called. “B-But this party was for-!”

Too late. Both of the counselors have fled the room, leaving the door ajar. The students could only watch them go, having no way to stop them in time. They were just too quick on their feet.

“They’re gone.” Tamotsu finally spoke up after being silent the entire conversation. “And back to being our enemies.”

“D-Don’t put it like that!” Keiko cried. “You make it sound like they’re truly the bad guys!”

“And yet, they have turned against us to reaffirm their loyalty to Monokuma, despite him killing one of their own,” Hiroko noted. “Not only that, but they have introduced a new incentive to kill. I don’t think they’re friends, even though your narrow view believes them to be.”

Keiko’s lip began to quiver. Tears started to form in her eyes. “B-But...”

“No buts, Keiko. This is life. Sometimes, people refuse to reform, or just simply can’t. Sometimes, they stay bad because they want to be bad. There’s nothing we can do about that.”

“But that...doesn’t make...” Keiko whimpered.

“Sense? Sense is illogical here. We’re locked into a school by a bear that wishes for us to kill each other. Logic is a gift that we do not have.”

_ Ding dong, ding dong… _

_ “Ahem...This is a school announcement! It is now 10 PM, which means the rule of nighttime is in full affect. The dining hall will close in short time, and entering it is forbidden. Well, then! Goodnight! Have beary good dreams...” _

Nighttime...The party Keiko set up was supposed to go beyond that threshold. But instead, it’s stopped so abruptly that the mood of it will never be restored.

“I guess it’s time for bed...” Kyou said.

Keiko was surprised. “Wh-What? You’re leaving the party already?”

Kyou looked downcast. “I don’t think I can continue on after that motive announcement. My good mood has evaporated.”

Tamotsu looked the same way. “I never wanted to party in the first place, so I’ll be taking my leave. I have a few loose ends I want to tie up with the counselors.”

Shido could take advantage of this. He can still get to Nagito in time, and nobody would be the wiser. Everyone wouldn’t question what others would be doing. They’ll instead be going to bed or investigating the new Suicide Paradox motive.

“S-Same here,” he stammered. “I was...never one for large congregations.”

“But...you’re a dancer,” Daiki pointed out. “If you’re the Ultimate Dancer, how come you can’t stomach large crowds?”

“I-I just can’t, okay?” Shido began walking out. “I’ll see you guys in the morning.”

He was out before anybody could stop him. He headed down the stairs, noticing nobody was leaving the game room at the moment. Perhaps some of them still were persistent to continue partying? Shido couldn’t help but admire their determination, if so.

Shido made sure he wasn’t being followed with a quick glance over his shoulder. Then, he stepped out of the summer school, making his way down the steps and down the only road in the entire school to the large fence.

Nagito was waiting there as he walked up. He seemed to be drawing absentmindedly in the dirt, thoughts far off from reality. However, he heard Shido walk up, and immediately perk up.

“Ah, Shido!” Nagito waved. “I almost thought you weren’t coming tonight!”

“I-I was held up,” Shido explained. “But I still came.”

Nagito leaned to look behind Shido and pointed. “And who is your friend right there?”

Shido gasped and looked. He should have known he would be followed. A secret like this can never say quiet for long.

Tamotsu was standing a few feet behind Shido. He wasn’t standing at the dancer. Instead, he was looking with wide eyes at Nagito sitting on the other side of the fence. His mouth was parted as if he was about to say something, but decided against it.

“T...Tamotsu?” Shido whimpered. “You...followed me?”

Tamotsu blinked a few times, regaining his composure. “Shido! Um...”

“Not just him.” Kohaku peeked out from behind a tree.

Tamotsu himself looked surprised. “K-Kohaku?! How did you-?!”

“Duh doy! I’m the Ultimate Illusionist! Anti-Hero or not, I can sneak up on you easy!”

Nagito only smiled. “Hello! You must be Shido’s friends!”

Shido began to breath quickly. “Wh...Who sent you?! Monokuma?! Are you g-going to-?!”

Tamotsu immediately raised his hands. “Shido, calm down. We just wanted to know what all of the secrecy was about. We apologize for breaching your privacy, but...we have to be able to trust each other. No secrets.”

“B-But...I promised...him...th-that I wouldn’t let anyone know about Nagito!”

Nagito only waved again. “Nagito Weil. Nice to meet you!”

Tamotsu immediately warmed up to the white-haired boy. “My name is Tamotsu Sugita. And this is Kohaku Hikozaemon.”

Kohaku waved, grinning. “Sup?”

“Ah! Sup back to you, Ms. Kohaku! Shido did not speak that he had friends!”

“I...I have no friends. They’re m-my classmates.”

Kohaku smiled. “Ignore him. He doesn’t like having friends.”

“N-Not true! N...Nagito’s my friend.”

She pouted at Shido. “Oh, so you trust a stranger over a classmate? Why, I’m insulted!”

“Wait! Th-That’s not it at all!”

Tamotsu looked at Nagito. “Anyways...you’re on the other side.”

“Yes, but like I’ve already told Shido, I’m not going to be able to get help. This place is largely disconnected from everything else, and my caretaker is in huge disbelief about a group of students in a killing game.”

“Then why don’t you show them this place?” Tamotsu questioned.

Nagito frowned. “She isn’t here in person. I’m only connected to her by calls and such. I’ll need proof by words, not sight.”

“Just our freaking luck!” Kohaku whined. “Our only possibility of help is no help at all!”

“I-I’m sorry!” Nagito exclaimed. “I’m researching Monokuma and whatever Shido informs me to try and help, but...I’m still coming up with nothing.”

“Well, it’s a start,” Tamotsu admitted. “So what are you doing over there?”

“I’ve been staying in a shack just up the road,” Nagito explained. “About a mile or so, to be exact.”

“Huh?” Kohaku questioned. “If it’s on the road, wouldn’t we have seen it when we were coming here by bus?”

“Well, it’s the same with his fence,” Nagito explained. “I know the school was here, but the fence was completely new. I was actually investigating it when Shido tried to go down the road, almost crashing into it. He would have died on impact, with the electricity and all.”

Shido blushed out of embarrassment. “E-Eh...”

“Alright...That’s all I wanted to know.” Tamotsu smiled. “Now, Shido...”

Shido became rigid. “I-I’m sorry for hiding the truth! P-Please don’t hurt me!”

“No, it’s okay! I just wanted to know who you got for your motive.”

Nagito was surprised. “There’s been...another motive?”

Tamotsu nodded. “Indeed. Everyone was given a person to possibly commit suicide for so they will escape the killing game. I haven’t learned who Shido got, yet.”

“I got Yuji!” Kohaku exclaimed. “Y’know, the little brother?”

Tamotsu then cracked a bit of a smile. “And I got Shido. Of course.”

Shido blushed. “Y...You got me?”

“Yea. But I won’t kill myself, don’t worry. I just need to know a confirmed yes or no from you whether you would kill yourself for your person.”

“U-Um...”

Shido slowly pulled out his Monobook. His person would be in the motive section, right?

Who was it? Someone like Yoshie Kazushi, soft-hearted and sympathetic? Keiko Kanon, a loud, boisterous kid? Or maybe even Yukio, a hothead with a good heart?

Shido’s eyes immediately went to the name in the motives tab. Suicide Paradox Recipient, Daiki Sorai. Daiki was a good person, but nobody Shido would die for. He’ll save his worthless life for somebody else.

“Daiki,” Shido merely said. “I won’t kill myself for him. D-Don’t worry.”

Tamotsu exhaled in relief. “Good. I was getting worried for you.”

Shido blushed again. “W-Well...it’s...okay.” He looked down at the ground, and a small smile formed. “Th-Thank you for worrying about me, I guess.”


	22. Chapter 2-7: Soaring Over Bloodied Waters

_ Ding dong, ding dong... _

_ “Attention, everybody! It is now eight AM, which means it’s time to get up and embrace the morning! I hope you all have a spectacular day here in Monolith Valley Summer School!” _

Morning already, huh? Shido wished that there were more hours to the sleeping schedule. Regardless, he forced himself into his feet and out of his bed.

Before he could finish strapping on his boots, there was a knock at his door. He suddenly went rigid, eyes going wide at the noise. Was it a killer, ready to take advantage of the Suicide Paradox?

Shido finished putting on the boots. Blindly, he grabbed the first thing he reached out for, the pillow of his bed. It wasn’t much defense, but it could buy him some much needed seconds. Slowly, he crept over to the door.

Just as he was about to open it, Keiko’s voice filtered through it, faint from how soundproof it was. “Shi-Shi? Are you there?” He immediately paused, not yet opening the door. “I, um...Guess you don’t want to talk to me after what happened yesterday.” She cleared her throat, but still sounded extremely depressed. “I wanted the party to be great...for everyone. But it all came apart in the end...d-didn’t it?

“I know you don’t want to talk to me. I really messed up, so I’m not going to try and bother anyone now. I’ll be in my room if you guys need me.”

After a pause, light footsteps went away from the door. Keiko didn’t even try to enter. Instead, she had just given her message, not even confirming if Shido was inside.

The dancer dropped the pillow. With a sigh, he rested his forehead against the door. Only then did he notice his body was trembling.

Once he was sure Keiko was gone, Shido opened the door and stepped out. Quietly closing the door behind him, he quickly slipped down the hallway towards and into the dining hall.

A few people were already gathered there. However, what surprised Shido is that people who had never talked to each other before were now in passionate discussions.

“Yes, that’s it!” Akio exclaimed. “Archery requires much more precision and focus that gunfire.”

“I, uh...guess I never thought of it like that,” Yukio admitted. “I thought it was just ‘pull a string back, then release’, like a gun trigger. Maybe I can try it sometime?”

“I’ll be happy to pass on the magnificent art of the bow and arrow!”

Meanwhile, Akihiko was having a much more quiet and proper chat with Yoshie. “I think it’s very noble of you to dedicate your entire life to aiding children.”

“I’m happy to,” the Ultimate Caretaker admitted. “A lot of children grow up without role models or any positive influence on their life. I want to correct that as much as I humanely can.”

“A-Ah...” Shido was surprised. “Good morning, everyone.”

“Hey, hey! Good morning, Shi-Shi!” Kohaku cheered.

“It seems everyone is getting along,” Shido pointed out.

Akihiko shrugged. “None of us have taken the Suicide Paradox seriously. Instead, we just used it to meet our classmates and actually talk to them. I got Yoshie.”

“And I got Akio!” Yukio asserted. “So I just started talkin’ to him to see what kind of person he’s like, and I’ve found that he’s quite a likeable dude!”

Akio blushed a bit. “I’m...happy that you think that.”

Shido looked around. “Everyone's here but Keiko...”

“Yea, what’s with that?” Yuji questioned. “I understand that she’ll be upset after what happened at the party last night, but...I’m surprised she’s not even here to eat breakfast with us.”

Shido looked downcast. “A-Actually, she talked to me just before I came here. Said something about...isolating herself for messing up immensely.”

“Isolation...?” Haruki questioned. “But...she didn’t do anything wrong.”

“No, but she organized the party,” Hiroko pointed out. “The counselors took advantage of it to report to us the new motive. Some guilt will obviously crop up from your own organizations being used to spread such an evil scheme.” Still, she shrugged. “Give it a day or so, and she’ll bounce back.”

“B-But what if she doesn’t?” Yukio questioned. “I’m not sayin’ she won’t, but...guilt lasts longer than a day.”

“Then what do you suggest we do?” Hiroko questioned. “She won’t be open to being talked out her room if she’s adamant about staying inside.”

“I know, but...” Yukio frowned. “Can’t help but worry, y’know?”

“And a party to alleviate our spirits again is out of the question, correct?” Kyou asked.

Daiki shrugged. “Maybe for some of us, but a few others may be willing to attempt another gathering.”

“Are you saying you want another party, Daiki?” Tamotsu questioned.

“W-Well, I wouldn’t say no if somebody suggested a much smaller gathering,” Daiki admitted. “Like...two to five people?”

“Oh!” Haruki yelped. “Like a sleepover?”

Akihiko suddenly grinned. It was like his happiness automatically tuned up at that word. “Sleepover! I haven’t done something like that for years!” He pumped his fists in the air. “Sleepover! Sleepover!”

“Eh, pass,” Yukio admitted. “I’m not keen on the idea of gatherin’ into one room to sleep together.”

Yuji frowned. “If my brother isn’t cool with it, neither am I. We go together like birds of a feather.”

“I shall partake!” Kyou declared. “I will regulate over all willing to sleep in the same dorm and make sure no suspicious activity occurs!”

“Ah, so you’ll protect us?” Daiki asked, them smiled. “Thank you. That makes me feel a bit better.”

Kyou immediately blushed. “Y...Yes! That is it in a blunt manner!”

Haruki smiled. “So would that make four? Me, Akihiko, Daiki, and Kyou? Does anyone else think well of this?”

“Ooh! Ooh!” Kohaku cheered. “Can I go?”

“No!” Akihiko declared. “No girls allowed, okay?”

The Ultimate Illusionist pouted. “Aww...Don’t dangle a fun time in front of my face like that!”

“I-I’ll decline on going,” Shido admitted. “Sleepovers aren’t really my thing.”

“Same here,” Tamotsu admitted. “Anybody else wish to volunteer?”

Nobody else said anything. It seemed that only the four would be going to this small sleepover party.

“Okay, then!” Akihiko declared. “Right after the nighttime announcement, we’ll gather in my room, okay? Bring pillows, blankets, and snacks!”

“Yay!” Haruki cheered. “We’ll stay up all night!”

Kyou frowned. “Not too late, however! We still need to wake up at 8:00 AM sharp!”

A small part of the cheery air has returned...and it would stay for a bit. After everyone finished breakfast, they said goodbye and scattered to do their own thing outside or on one of the two unlocked floors.

As for Shido, he immediately found himself in the music room, where nobody was at the moment. He hasn’t practiced any sort of dance routine for a long while, and he can feel the ache in his muscles from a lack of exercise. He had the whole day to himself, so he might as well begin to stretch.

He didn’t put on any music at first. Instead, he did a few quiet stretches. Tilting his head back and forth, he stared at himself in the large mirror making up one of the walls. He looked absolutely pathetic, as always.

_ “‘Ey, you. Snap out of yer damn funk fer once, pull yerself together, and just wake up.” _

Shido gasped. Immediately spinning on his heel, he looked behind him. Nobody was there, but an odd chill was going down his spine. The music room just gave him a weird feeling.

And that voice was...so familiar. That’s right...it was the same twang as the Yakuza’s. But so different at the same time.

The room suddenly spun. A heavy feeling washed over him, and he clutched at his mouth. Immediately, he went to the trash can in the corner of the music room and abruptly threw up in it, his entire body shaking with a force he couldn’t understand.

He felt dizzy, and his mind had gone blank. He tried to think of that voice again, but all of his instincts immediately shut it down and forced a larger headache upon him. I was like something within him was trying to cancel it out.

Groaning, Shido held his head, gasping for breath. Slowly, he stood up, pressing a hand against the wall to stabilize himself. He never wanted to go into the music room again.

_ Ding dong, ding dong… _

_ “Ahem...This is a school announcement! It is now 10 PM, which means the rule of nighttime is in full affect. The dining hall will close in short time, and entering it is forbidden. Well, then! Goodnight! Have beary good dreams...” _

What? That’s impossible. Nighttime already? One weird feeling after another...how did he possibly spend the entire day in the music room already? Well, one thing was for sure: he’s never going back in there again.

Shido quickly walked outside. Still shaking, he stood in the main room, hands on the music door as if forcing it to stay closed.

“...Shi-Shi?”

Shido screamed and turned around. Yukio was standing there, a concerned expression on his face. Yuji was right next to him, frowning as well.

“Y-Yukio! Sorry, you...you took me by surprise!”

Yuji asked, “Are you alright? You look extremely pale.”

Shido nodded. “Yea, I...I just got a bit of motion sickness from spinning too fast.” He looked up. “A-Anyways, is it really nighttime already?”

“Man, you got that weird feelin’, too?” Yukio asked. “I think that’s how video game characters feel durin’ a random timeskip in-game. It just...happened so quickly.”

Yuji shivered. “Neither of us are tired, so...we were going to go play in the game room. Do you wanna come with us and clear your head?”

Shido shook his head. “No, I...I just wanna take a walk outside. I like the night sky better than inside.”

“We understand.” Yukio nodded. “We hope you feel better.” Both began waving as they walked towards the stairs of the second floor.

Shido waved back. “Yea, you...you guys, too.”

** _Weil Theater_ **

_ “I bet you felt how weird today was. It’s like the afternoon as a whole was just...skipped, and it went straight to nighttime. Like some sort of spell sped up time to exclude something important out of the day. I didn’t have anything planned today, but...did you and your friends? No? Then I guess neither of us missed anything important, but just were left with a weird feeling...” _


	23. Chapter 2-8: Soaring Over Bloodied Waters

_ Ding dong, ding dong... _

_ “Attention, everybody! It is now eight AM, which means it’s time to get up and embrace the morning! I hope you all have a spectacular day here in Monolith Valley Summer School!” _

Morning already? And it felt like a proper lapse in time now, instead of a rushed time skip. The anxieties of yesterday have now thankfully been swept away by a good night’s rest.

“Ah...” Shido sat up, stretching. Slipping out of bed, he slapped on his clothes, righted his makeup and hair, and went out the door.

This time, he had put more time into his looks. His relaxed and precise state had slightly returned, thus making him put more effort into his appearance. Therefore, he wouldn’t look as disgusting as he was.

In the dining hall, not many people were gathered. A lot of people have already finished breakfast and returned to their own rooms. The only people that were gathered were the late risers.

“Good morning, Shi-Shi!” Yuuki cheered. “How ya doin’?”

“F-Fine. Where’s Kohaku?”

“She already finished breakfast, and immediately went back to bed,” Tamotsu reported. “She said she wanted to sleep some more.”

Kyou scowled. “Such laziness cannot be tolerated.”

“Yea, but if she wants to sleep, just let her,” Tamotsu grumbled. He fiddled with a plate stocked full of food in his hands.

Shido looked at it. “Huh? You haven’t eaten yet?”

“Oh, no.” Tamotsu shook his head a bit. “This is for Keiko. I haven’t seen her in the dining hall all morning, and I was the first to arrive here. I was going to take this to her room and check if she was okay.”

“Eh, can I come with ya?” Yuuki asked. “I wanna spend more time with my friend!”

Tamotsu warmly smiled. “Sure. You can.”

Yuuki grinned. “Eh, what about you, Shi-Shi? Shall you come with us?”

Shido blushed. He looked a bit shy at the proposition. “Well...um, I don’t know. I don’t want to disturb Keiko...”

“Eh, it’ll be fine!” Yuuki grinned. “We’ll just shoulder the blame together if we do piss her off, ya know?”

Tamotsu chuckled a bit. “You have no need to get flustered, Shido. This is nothing to worry about.”

Shido finally gave in, sighing. “Okay...I-I’ll go with you guys.”

Yuuki immediately hooked his arm around Shido’s, keeping him from running away. “Eh, that’s the spirit, Shi-Shi! It’ll do you good to talk to a friend every once and a while!”

Shido couldn’t help but smile the tiniest bit. “I...guess it does sometimes.”

Keiko’s room was close to the end of the dorm hallway. It was nearly nestled into the corner, but still had a few doors between it and the hallway’s end. So it was located in more of the center of the latter half of the long row of dorms.

Tamotsu moved first. Placing the plate of food in one hand, he raised his wrist to knock on Keiko’s door politely. When she didn’t answer, he said, “Keiko, are you there? Or are you just asleep?”

No response came. Yuuki tilted his head, pouting the slightest bit, while Shido frowned in an uncomfortable way. The dancer began to shuffle back and forth on his feet.

“M-Maybe she’s asleep?” Shido suggested quietly.

“Eh, or just ignoring everyone,” Yuuki hummed. “She must be really bummed about the party if that’s the case!” He sighed. “Eh, I really feel bad for her.”

Shido looked surprised. “You do?”

“Why wouldn’t I? She put all that time and effort into a party for the counselors. She just wanted to befriend them. And Monokuma...eh...just ruined it, ya know? Eh, him and his stupid Suicide Paradox motive ruined a perfectly good party!” Yuuki pouted. “He even took all off the stuff down when we were asleep!”

Shido tilted his head. “W-Well, by that point, we were done with the party, so...that would just be cleaning up as a form of courtesy, r-right?”

“The door’s unlocked.”

Yuuki looked up at Tamotsu. “Eh?”

The Ultimate Anti-Hero was staring at the doorknob. His hand hovered just above it, fingers twitching. Shido could see an expression of worry and concern on his face contort in an instant.

When neither of the other two said anything, Tamotsu continued, “When a door is locked, there’s a red light on the sensor pad that you use to unlock it with your Monopad, and it turns green when the door is unlocked.” Tamotsu looked over at Shido, eyes widening. “Why is the light green right now?”

Tamotsu was suddenly knocked over, and he fell to the floor, plate skidding. Yuuki have suddenly shoved by him, hand going for the doorknob and expression suddenly blank.

“T-Tamotsu!” Shido yelled as Yuuki nearly broke the door down opening it up. As the mysterious Ultimate stumbled inside, he ran over to Tamotsu, and held out a hand. “A-Are you okay?!”

Tamotsu gratefully took his hand. “F...Fine. Just stunned by Yuuki’s sudden movement, that’s all.” He let himself be pulled up, grunting a bit.

Inside of Keiko’s room, Yuuki shrieked. It was not unlike Shido’s scream that echoed throughout the storage room upon seeing Takehiko’s dead body. It was fearful, and punctuated with raw human emotion.

Immediately, Shido had a powerful feeling. His emotions took over, and he raced into the room as well, followed by Tamotsu. “Y-Yuuki?!”

His eyes went to her legs first. Then up to her waist, her arms dangling lifelessly at the side. Then to her face, with her eyes closed as if she was peacefully sleeping.

In the center of the room, Keiko Kanon’s dead corpse was hung from a noose. Her body was lifeless, and it swayed gently with the force of wind having been sent into the room from the sudden entrance of the boys. The rope creaked as her petite form rocked like a pendulum in a grandfather clock.

And then Shido screamed with the exact raw fear that Yuuki had just used a moment ago.

**Chapter 2: Soaring Over Bloodied Waters**

**DEADLY LIFE**


	24. Chapter 2-9: Soaring Over Bloodied Waters

_ Ding dong, ding dong… _

_ “A body has been discovered! Everyone, please make your way to Keiko Kanon’s dorm room at your closest convenience! And after a certain amount of time has passed, the class trial will begin!” _

Three people...the corpse hanging from the ceiling...the location...this was real. Keiko was dead. Hung like some sort of butcher meat on display.

Tamotsu gritted his teeth. “D-Damn...Did she really...or is this...?!” He couldn’t even complete his own sentences.

Yuuki was gobsmacked, jaw almost on the floor. “I, eh...didn’t imagine something like that to ever come out of my mouth.”

The door burst open again, and all three boys looked. Akihiko was standing in the doorway, his hand on the framing. Eyes wide, he gasped for breath, probably having run all the way here. Behind him, a lot of the others were just sprinting into view, so it wasn’t long before the other ten or so students arrived.

“Oh by the godess...” Yoshie whimpered. “Oh, sweet merciful angels...!”

Asuka frowned. “So, it happened again...either she took her life to save another, or there is foul play in this.”

Hiroko, however, wasn’t calm, but had her teeth gritted. “Nngh! Keiko, you...!”

Hiroko may act heartless, but she’s definitely now put on edge at this. It may have just been Shido, but she had definitely shown favoritism towards Keiko as a fellow girl. And now that he was dead, her guard around the men had lessened, even just a little bit, to show her emotions for one split moment.

“H-Hiroko...” Shido murmured. “Are you okay...?”

Immediately, she returned to her cruel, glaring position. “Why do you stare at me with such pity, peacock? This is...just part of the game, that’s all. It’s nothing I should become worried about.”

That was it...the key to her cold exterior. She softened it around women, but hardened it around men, was that the key? If Kohaku died, would she just...isolate herself from them all entirely? No, why would he think like that? Kohaku couldn’t die!

For a moment, Shido forgot about the hanging body, so when he looked up, he was hit once more with dead shock. Keiko’s corpse swung from the ceiling of her room, eyes closed and head drooping forward. She was stone cold, and completely dead.

Akihiko was staring in wide-eyed horror. “Keiko...we were too late...!”

“Did she really...?” Daiki asked. “Kill herself to save another?”

“We can’t be sure of that,” Asuka remarked. “This could be just a murder blatantly set up as a suicide.”

“But...don’t we all know what this means?” Haruki asked. “There’s going to be...a-another class trial!”

“Eh, but I don’t wanna!” Yuuki complained as if he were a child being forced to eat his greens. “They’re so tiring!”

“Don’t be a lazybones!” Kyou yelled. “Our dear friend Keiko is dead, and we must solve her murder to bring her spirit justice!”

“Puhuhuhu!” Monokuma suddenly appeared without warning. “I’m so happy to see my students getting along so well in such a bleak situation!”

“P-Please stop doing that!” Haruki exclaimed. “Disappearing and reappearing...it might give me a heart attack!”

“Oh, I couldn’t bear that! I'd much rather offer other students the chance to kill you with their bare hands!” Monokuma chuckled. “Though it seems that already has happened...or has it? Did Keiko just take her life out of a selfless desire to save somebody else?”

Tamotsu snarled, “Shut up! It has to be...No way one of us murdered her!”

“Yea, it was a counselor!” Yuji declared. “Not any of us, right? ‘Cause that was what it was like last time!”

Monokuma only gave a classic smile. “Oh, but that’s just for my brilliant students to find out, isn’t it? Banding together once more in the dazzling show of class trials...it would get anybody to cheer for you all, wouldn’t it?”

“State the reason you’re here and get out of our sight, you filthy bear,” Asuka snarled.

“Such backhanded cruelty! This generation of children should learn to treat their elders with respect!” Monokuma cleared his throat anyways. “However, since there has been another murder, I’ll like to pass out this trial’s own Monokuma File!” True to his word, he suddenly whipped out a black pad not unlike the one detailing Takehiko’s murder. However, this one had a “2” emblazoned on it instead of a “1”.

“Monokuma File...” Kohaku hummed. “So we’re really doing this again.”

“Of course we are!” Monokuma said. “We don’t break the lovely traditions of this killing game for anything! Nope, not even a possible suicide, because we’ll debate that, too! We debate about any murder!”

Hiroko continued to glare. “Okay. That’s all. Now go.”

Monokuma sighed, an air of gloom forming around him. “How upsetting that my entire student body hates me with such passionate venom...” However, he quickly bounced back. “But I mustn’t worry about the details! Oh, no! I have a class trial to prepare for! Puhuhuhu!” And just like that, he was gone again.

“The counselors weren’t with him that time...” Akio remarked. “Do you think...?”

“Perhaps their guilty conscience will not allow them to look at us in the eyes,” Yoshie remarked while clasping his hands. “Their regret slowly builds up over the day, and they have no way of releasing the water behind the dam, as they say.”

“You mean turnin’ on the waterworks?” Yukio asked with a confused expression. “I don’t think anyone says what you said.”

Tamotsu cleared his throat loudly, and everyone looked at him. “Moving on to more important matters...Daiki? Asuka? You know what to do.”

“Guard the body?” Daiki guessed.

“Fine,” Asuka remarked. “But I don’t like being ordered around.”

Tamotsu looked down, frowning. “Sorry. I’m used to taking the role of leader.” He then straightened his face. “Shido, shall we investigate together?”

Shido blushed. “Y-You want to...with me? Again?”

Tamotsu had a hint of pink across his nose himself, and he pulled at a few locks of hair out of embarrassment. “Well...I thought you would be okay with it, since you were last time.”

Hiroko’s scowl deepened. “Shido, are you flirting with every man that moves in this building, attempting to enrapture them in your submissive behavior?”

Shido’s face went red. “N-No, ma’am! Nothing like that, ma’am!”

Kohaku groaned. “Fine! I’ll work with him this time around to get you off his case, Hiroko!”

Hiroko seemed to immediately back down, nodding. “Alright, fine. I hope you know what you are doing, Kohaku.”

Before Shido could think about it too much, Kohaku had her arm looped through his. “Now, come on, partner! It’s investigating time!”

To do this all over again...the horrid memories of Takehiko’s body ruptured up in his mind, accompanied by a headache. He thought it would all stop...he thought there would be no more, but...

Quit thinking about that. Useless trash like him has to at least do something to make him a little less of dead weight. And if Kohaku was going to take him along for her investigation, so be it. He’ll just let her do her thing.

For Keiko...They will find out if it was her intention to die!

**INVESTIGATION START**


	25. Chapter 2: Investigation Period

First things first, the Monokuma File. Shido only had a slight hesitation in turning it on his time. That was progress, was it not?

_ “The victim is Keiko Kanon, the Ultimate Party Planner. The time of death was almost exactly 10:00 PM. The body was discovered in the victim’s dorm room. The cause of death was trauma to the neck and subsequent loss of oxygen.” _

“That’s a strange way to put strangulation...” Shido murmured. “And the murder time...once again so weird...”

Kohaku tried to look. “Whaddaya mean?”

Shido looked over at her, his nerves more calmer once the stressful conversations had passed. “Keiko died at...almost exactly 10:00 PM. She could have been murdered immediately before or after the nighttime announcement, f-for all we know.”

Kohaku puffed up her cheeks, as if thinking. “That is weird...if she was murdered, that’s kinda risky to murder her right before bedtime, ya know? What if someone came to say goodnight to her, and discovered her body too early?”

“That...” Shido murmured, but couldn’t really formulate any response. Regardless, that was definitely going to be a significant detail in the case.

**Monokuma File #2 was added to your Truth Bullets.**

Shido glanced up at Keiko’s body. It sickened him, just watching it away so lifelessly like that. She was so happy and optimistic...did the good and pure always have to die so young?

Though without meaning to, he found himself looking at the rope she was hung with. It literally swallowed all of her petite neck, it was so thick. It didn’t look to be some standard rope, which was a bit odd. Why was such a strong and thick rope used for hanging when a standard version would do just fine?

**Noose was added to your Truth Bullets.**

The Monokuma File didn’t seem to satisfy Kohaku. Instead, she made a beeline for the body hanging in the center of the room. Staring up at it, she raised an eyebrow before, to Shido’s absolute horror, grabbed Keiko’s leg and shook her a few times.

“K-Kohaku?!” Shido almost screamed.

Daiki was equally shocked. “Wh...What are you doing?!”

“Just checking a few things really weird...” Kohaku was barely paying attention to the boys.

Shido looked wide-eyed at Daiki. “She...She just...!”

“I know, I know.” Kohaku then proceeded to make the cross motion on her body. “Bless your soul and move on to the afterlife, Keiko, or go to hell, I don’t know what you prefer.” She ignored Yoshie having been muttering prayers suddenly looking at her with pure shock. “Okay, I’m good!”

“S-So...what did you find out?” Shido whimpered.

“A lot of things. One, her head didn’t seem to move correctly.”

Shido paused. “Wh...What?”

“Her head doesn’t move correctly. Sure, it moves, but...not in the way a head moves on a good neck, you know?” Kohaku frowned. “What I’m getting at is that her head leans too much to one side and moves too...wildly.”

“O...kay.” Shido didn’t know what to make of that. “Anything else?”

“Two more things. I’m getting to them. The first thing is that she’s wearing her shoes.”

Shido just looked plain baffled at that. “I...what?”

“Let me explain. It’s practically custom around these parts to take off your shoes when you commit suicide or some shiz like that. Apparently, you have to take off your shoes to not track your sins into the afterlife, much like how you would not track dirt into your house. If you commit suicide with your shoes on, that’s considered a sin, ya know?”

“So...you’re saying Keiko may have been murdered?”

“Maybe...or that she was just as clueless to the custom as you are, apparently.” Kohaku pouted. “You’re a Norihisa! How have you not heard of it?”

Shido only frowned, looking down. “Well...I-I don’t...”

“What was that?”

“N-Nothing! What was the last thing?”

“Oh, yea. She’s got a stain on her shoulder. You know, right where her top shirt is.” Kohaku crossed her arms. “I almost missed it because it’s a clear liquid, but I saw it shine in the light, so I managed to see it.”

“W-Well, what do you think it is?”

Kohaku smiled. “Glue.”

“...What?”

“You heard me right. Glue. It has the same properties and everything. Somewhere, somehow down the line, Keiko got some glue on her shoulder. And I know she didn’t have it during the party, and she didn’t come out that often after that. I don’t even know think she got meals.”

Shido placed a finger on his chin. “Then do you think it’s related to the murder?”

“Sure thing, Shi-Shi! But I just can’t put my finger on how...”

All the stuff that Kohaku had learned just now was very valuable, despite her lack of ethnics in getting them. But even if they were pieces of evidence, they just seemed so broken apart from each other. Where do they line up?

**Keiko’s Head Movement was added to your Truth Bullets.**

**Keiko’s Shoes was added to your Truth Bullets.**

**Glue Stain was added to your Truth Bullets.**

The only people in the room at the moment were Yoshie and the two appointed bodyguards. Everyone else had left to apparently do their own part in the investigation.

Shido seemed to notice Asuka had something on his mind, so he looked over at him. “Hey, Asuka? What’s wrong? I-Is Keiko’s death...?”

“No,” he answered quickly. “That is not what is bothering me.” His frown deepened. “Somebody made a mess of one of the classrooms on the second floor.”

Kohaku seemed to suddenly gain interest in the conversation. “Ah...A mess, you say?”

“Yes. I was looking throughout the classrooms daily in order to see if the Yakuza, or at least this Insurrection’s Abyss, had left anything for us. You see, every classroom has a crafts locker in the back. The ones on the first floor were used to create the decorations for Keiko’s party. However, the second floor ones were untouched...until now.”

“A crafts locker...” Kohaku rubbed her chin. “Which classroom?”

“The first one in the hall,” Asuka snapped rather rudely. “Can this conversation end now?”

Kohaku smiled. “Yup! You’re good!”

One of the classrooms was...looted? And the first floor classrooms were depleted of their crafts objects since the party...both seemed to be some cases of valid information.

**Asuka’s Account was added to your Truth Bullets.**

**First Floor Classrooms was added to your Truth Bullets.**

**Counselor Party was added to your Truth Bullets.**

“Ah, just a moment!” Yoshie suddenly ran up to the two, seeming to notice they were about to leave.

Kohaku began to panic. “Hey, hey, don’t condemn me to hell, Yosh! I was just checking Keiko’s body for any suspicious things!”

“While I am upset over that, that’s...not what I want to talk to you about.”

Shido tilted his head. “Then...what is it, Yoshie?”

Yoshie suddenly looked nervous. He glanced around, as if worried their conversation would be eavesdropped on. Finally, he leaned in, and cupped a hand to his mouth, even whispering.

“I saw Keiko last night going into the storage room, and coming out with a rope. When I asked her what it was about, she immediately ran into her room, unwilling to talk to me.”

Shido’s eyes turned into pinpricks, his mouth agape. Immediately, he looked to Yoshie to ask him the sudden questions appearing in his mind. Instead, the Ultimate Caretaker immediately rushed out, as if the Devil himself was on his tail.

“Wait, uh...” Kohaku was just as worried. “What just...?!”

Shido immediately looked at the two bodyguards giving them questioning looks. On instinct, he grabbed Kohaku’s wrist and pulled them both out of Keiko’s room. He didn’t want to stay there much longer, anyways.

In the hallway, nobody was anywhere in sight. Even Yoshie had vanished so suddenly, in an almost inhuman amount of speed. He had probably just ducked into another room, not willing to face Shido and answer some questions.

“That was...mighty suspicious,” Kohaku admitted.

“Yoshie...saw Keiko?” Shido questioned. “Just before the nighttime announcement...”

Kohaku only scowled. “That is...a bit odd. How did he possibly catch her in time to see that? What was he doing at the time?” She looked surprised. “Actually, wouldn’t you have seen him? Since you go on...Erm, nighttime walks?”

“N...No,” Shido admitted. “I only came out of the music room after the nighttime announcement, so I guess he just moved into a different room during that time. Though he didn’t clarify at what time, so...it could have been any time during the evening.”

“But if she was getting rope, it had to have been the rope for the noose, right?” Kohaku asked. “So it was still sometime around 10!”

“A-And that’s if Yoshie is telling the truth...”

**Yoshie’s Account was added to your Truth Bullets.**

Kohaku put her hands on her hips. “Okay, now! I wanna go talk to Kenjiro, Part Time Hero!”

Shido was surprised at the nickname, but recognized the last name. “Oh! A-Akihiko?”

“Trust me, you’ll see why.” Kohaku took his hand gently, but firmly. “Come along, now. He’s probably in the dining hall.”

Indeed, there he was, eating like always. He currently had one of those individually wrapped sticks of cheese in his hand, munching on it as if it were a delicacy. Yukio and Yuji were sitting nearby, seeming to converse with one another in deep thought.

Before the duo could go to Akihiko, Yukio spotted Shido and stuck his arm in the air. “Hey, yo! Shi-Shi!”

Shido looked surprised. “H-Huh? Me?”

Kohaku smiled, and patted him on the back. “Go see what they want, Shi-Shi. I’ll talk to Kenjiro, Part Time Hero!”

“O...Kay.” Nodding, Shido shuffled away from Kohaku.

The brothers immediately smiled when he came over. Yuji made a patting motion in front of a chair across from the two. Shido, getting the message, sat himself down in it, and stared ahead at them.

“Glad we caught you,” Yukio said with a smile. “Now, we want you to know that we'll be covering for you in the trial!”

Shido blinked. “Huh?”

“Remember?” Yuji asked. “We both saw you come out of the music room after the nighttime announcement played. And even then, you didn’t even go near the dorms, instead heading straight outside! Since Keiko died at 10, that means if all three of us agree on our alibis, we’re foolproof!”

Shido was actually surprised. These people will...cover for him? Such a nice gesture, but...why would anyone do something nice for somebody as worthless as him?

Instead of wondering why they would do this, Shido instead put on a fake smile. “Th...Thank you both.”

Yukio reached over and placed a hand on his shoulder. He was smiling warmly, and Shido couldn’t help but genuinely smile back when he said, “We got your back, Shi-Shi.”

**Yuji’s Account was added to your Truth Bullets.**

“Hey, yo!” Shido looked over to see Kohaku sticking her arm in the air, waving it wildly to grab his attention. “Shi-Shi!”

Shido quickly moved Yukio’s hand off of his shoulder. “I-I gotta go.”

Yuji grinned. “Got it! Good luck on the investigation!”

Shido got up from his seat at the table. He jogged over to Kohaku standing by Akihiko, who was still sitting down, though he had finished his stick of cheese, at this point.

Shido walked up, waving a bit. “H-Hi, Akihiko.”

Akihiko waved back. “Hey, Shido! How went your part?”

He only gave a little shrug in response. “The three of us just talked about how our alibis during the time of the murder matched up. Th-That’s all.”

“Righty-o.” Kohaku looked over. “Now, tell him what you told me.”

Akihiko nodded, and took in a deep breath for a lengthy explanation. “Four of us attended the sleepover in my room last night, right? Me, Haruki, Daiki, and Kyou. All of us arrived in up to five minutes after the nighttime announcement. That means that there would be no time to set up the crime scene if it’s a murder. Therefore, all four of us cannot possibly be the killer.”

Shido glanced back at Yukio and Yuji, who had returned to their discussion. “So that makes seven people with airtight alibis...”

**Sleepover Alibi was added to your Truth Bullets.**

“You’re lucky,” Kohaku remarked. “That sleepover certainly saved your bacon from another bout of accusations!”

Akihiko chuckled, scratching his cheek. “Yea. The last class trial wasn’t fun from all of the finger pointing at me.” He looked at the two. “So, where are you off to now?”

“Well, Asuka said that one of the classrooms on the second floor got raided,” Kohaku said, “so we were going to investigate it.”

Akihiko nodded, though was frowning. “But shouldn’t you guys check the storage room? I mean, the rope that hung Keiko couldn’t have come from anywhere else, so it’s good to just confirm the facts.”

Kohaku smiled, shrugging. “I guess we will, then. Thanks for the suggestion, Kenjiro, Part Time Hero!”

Akihiko smiled. “No problem! ...Wait, what did you call me?”

Kohaku was already dragging Shido out the door before either answered him. All he could do was sit there in bewilderment, wondering what could have possibly created such a wacky but very well-rhymed nickname.

The storage room was as pitch black as Shido remembered it. However, it was lacking a certain body and copious amounts of blood. While he knew it was long scrubbed away, Shido still felt a shiver up his spine, staring at where Takehiko’s body once laid.

Kohaku hadn’t a care in the world. Immediately, she skipped over to the shelves, humming a tune unfamiliar to Shido. Her finger began to go along the racks, smile still calm and serene. Such a strange aura scared him. What were her motives in all of this?

“Ah-hah!” Kohaku declared. “Akihiko was right, and more!”

Shido immediately moved over to her side. “Huh? Wh-What is it?”

“There’s two ropes missing!” Kohaku smiled. “One of the thick variety, and one of a thinner standard!”

Shido’s mind went to the noose hanging Keiko’s body and its strange detail. “We know where the thick rope went...I-It's the one Keiko was hung with.”

Kohaku pouted. “Yea, so...where did the thinner one run off to? It was certainly here before the murder, ‘cause I can’t think of any reason why somebody would take it!”

Two ropes having disappeared, and one just gone altogether...What was the meaning of it? Where could the other rope be now, and what was its purpose for being gone?

**Ropes in Storage was added to your Truth Bullets.**

“‘Ey, kids. Glad to see you here.”

Both of them gasped, and looked over their shoulders. The Athlete was walking up, one hand on her hip. Her smile was calm, but seemed to hide something, like a mask would.

“H-Hello, Athlete.” Shido nodded, letting his hair droop in front of his eyes.

She only nodded at him before turning to Kohaku. “I heard you were talkin’ about a missing rope?”

“Oh, Yea. One of the thin ones. Got an idea where it is?”

The Athlete suddenly gave a more wide grin. “Yes. I got it on me right now.”

Before either of the students could say anything, she suddenly whipped it out from behind her back. It was coiled up right into her hand. Shido could tell it was definitely the thinner variety, especially when thinking back to the thick rope Keiko was hung with.

Kohaku slowly took it, having a bit of unease on her face. “Oh. Um...Thank you.”

“Oh, and yea. One more thing.” The Athlete crossed her arms. “You understand that at least seven people were together last night, correct?” She then smirked again. “There’s one person you missed. Somebody roaming around during the night, working under everyone’s noses to take a life.”

Kohaku paused. “Roaming around...?”

Shido tilted his head. “A-Are you saying the murderer isn’t any of the seven people? We knew that already, but...”

“Well, the importance of this person is on you to decide. However, that’s all I’m inclined to inform you. However, I know that you will do great in the class trial.” Without another word, she left.

“That was...something,” Shido admitted, watching her slink out the door.

“Yea, but it’s valuable information!” Kohaku cheered. “And I think this rope is the key to the culprit!”

Shido looked surprised as Kohaku inspected the rope. “Wh-What?! It is?!”

“Yea.” She pointed out one end. “You see how this part is wet?”

Shido looked down at it. Indeed, it looked soggy in Kohaku’s bare hand, kind of like a limp noodle. However, the mysterious liquid was soaked into the rope instead of dripping all over the floor.

“What...is it?” Shido asked.

Kohaku frowned. “Huh. You don’t know?” She sighed. “Fine, guess I’ll bring it up in the trial.” She tucked away the rope. “But I already have a clue on the killer, though I can’t make a definite answer for sure.”

The rope was the key...though the Athlete’s account seemed to also be important. An eighth person was walking around, planning to murder when Keiko died. Was it coincidence, or...?

**Thin Rope was added to your Truth Bullets.**

**The Athlete’s Account was added to your Truth Bullets.**

After that, the two headed upstairs to check the second floor. Asuka had informed them that it had been trashed in a raid of supplies some time before the murder. Interested, the two found themselves heading over.

On the first classroom along the hallway on the second floor, Kohaku grabbed the knob and pushed it open. Shido looked over her shoulder to observe the room.

Nothing was out of place anywhere else but the storage cabinets. However, even those were getting cleaned up, as Hiroko was putting the items away, unknowingly tampering with possibly valuable evidence.

“Yo, hold the phone, Hiro!” Kohaku yelled, startling the Ultimate Mage. “Stop putting the stuff away!”

Hiroko turned, face flustered. “K-Kohaku?”

“That’s actually related to the murder of Keiko! We dunno how, but it is, so step away from it!”

Hiroko immediately slunk away, hands clasped. “I, erm...understand. I apologize.”

“I-It’s okay,” Shido said. “You didn’t know that-”

Her face immediately darkened. “Oh. I didn’t know you were here, peacock. Do you follow her around like a lap dog?”

Shido blushed. “N-No, ma’am! We were just...investigating together.”

“Yes, yes, I know...” Her serene smile returned. “Now, then. Do you understand that I have a way of enlightening the game’s experience?”

Shido looked over at Kohaku investigating the storage cabinet, then looking back. “Wh-What is it?”

“I used my magic to peer into the minds of all possibly involved from the murder, and learned this. Keiko’s Suicide Paradox recipient is one Haruki Ryobe, and I received Keiko as a Suicide Paradox recipient.”

Haruki...but he’s already clear, because of the sleepover. Though even then, the small tidbit that Hiroko had Keiko as her recipient? That sounded useful, thought at the same time, something that can be used against Hiroko in the class trial.

**Hiroko’s Account was added to your Truth Bullets.**

“Hey, Shi-Shi!” Kohaku called. “Stop flirting with Hiroko and talk to me over here!”

Shido looked immediately embarrassed. “Agh! I-I wasn’t-!”

“Go on, you little lap dog,” Hiroko taunted. “Heel to your master.” Giggling at her own joke, she walked out of the classroom, her proper aura following her out.

His face now a bright scarlet, he slowly slunk over to Kohaku in burning shame. His head was bowed, and tears began to prick at the corners of his eyes.

Kohaku looked concerned at him. “You alright there, Shi-Shi?”

“Y-Yea...” Shido jumped to change the subject. “S-So, what did you find out?”

“Well, not much, since Hiroko cleaned up some of it. However, I do want to point out a couple of things.” Kohaku picked up a paint bottle to inspect it. “None of these paint bottles are tampered with in any way. They’re all still sealed.” Kohaku then looked over. “You got that, right? The paint detail.”

Shido slowly nodded, so she continued, and picked up a glue bottle. “Also, this thing right here is covered in dried glue. I think the container broke. I just don’t know how.” She shrugged, and tossed it back in haphazardly. “Anyways, they’re related to the case. Write it down somewhere.”

**Classroom Storage Cabinet was added to your Truth Bullets.**

**Empty Glue Bottle was added to your Truth Bullets.**

_ Ding dong, ding dong... _

_ “Ooooh, I’m getting bored of waiting! I’ve given you all enough time, so let’s move on to the main event! Please proceed outside to board the bus towards our class trial location!” _

“Huh.” Kohaku looked up. “So soon, man?”

Shido only sighed. “I guess we should go, then...”

Outside, a lot of people were already gathered. The bus was waiting right where it was last time, as if it had never left. The engine was rumbling, ready to speed off to the class trial.

“I-Is this everyone?” Shido asked.

Hiroko frowned. “Yes. Anyone could tell by a simple glance, peacock.”

“Lay off of him,” Yuji growled. “We’re on the same side here.”

“And how do we know at the moment that he is not the murderer?” Hiroko questioned.

Yuuki only smiled serenely with blank eyes. “How do we know you cleaning up the cabinet of supplies wasn’t just you being nice?”

“He’s doing the creepy spacin’ out thing again!” Yukio exclaimed.

“Enough of this,” Tamotsu said. “Let’s board the bus and go over to the class trial, before Monokuma punishes us for our tardiness.”

“Of course!” Kyou agreed, hopping on first with a single bound. “Tardiness is unacceptable in situations like these!”

From there, everybody filtered onto the bus, taking a seat and waiting for the next phase. Shido once more reserved himself to a window seat, initially ignoring everybody.

“Hey, Shi-Shi?” He looked over at Kohaku standing there. “Ya mind if I sit with you?”

Shido only blushed, looking down at the floor. “Oh...O-Okay. Yea, I won’t stop you...”

“Great!” Kohaku sat down immediately, grinning almost like a maniac. “Just so you know, you’ve now agreed for life on allowing me to sit with you, so there’s no turning back!”

Shido hid himself into his hair. “Wonderful...”

Shido hoped that the short bus ride would stay quiet for him. However, Kohaku held his hand suddenly, making him go bright red. “So we’re gonna get that killer, amirite?”

He immediately yanked his hand away, clutching it close to his chest. “Um, s-sure! Yea, we will!”

“Yo, what’s wrong? Scared of hand holding?” Kohaku laughed at her own joke.

The dancer began to involuntarily shed tears, though immediately hid it by looking away. He shoved his hands into his armpits under his poncho and out of Kohaku’s reach, feeling embarrassed. This was what he had feared: the teasing from people who called themselves his friend to begin.

When the bus braked, Shido actually got up fist. He didn’t wait for Kohaku to stand, instead leaping over her and going down the aisle before anyone else.

They weren’t in the field like last time, but instead, in the middle of the thick trees. A small clearing full of trial podiums were there, and his eyes went to the new addition of a memorial photo for Keiko.

“Whaddaya think?” Startling Shido, Monokuma rose out of nowhere. The counselors were already in their mini thrones, but the Yakuza’s didn’t even have a memorial photo, adding a bit more heartbreak to the feeling of seeing him gone. “A new location for a new class trial!”

Tamotsu looked around, arms crossed. “While the change of view is nice, I have to ask how this place is possibly accessed...what was the point of such a small clearing for Hope’s Peak?”

Monokuma outright ignored him. “Now, your stands are still the same as before! Everyone, go to your podiums! Chop chop! We have debates to settle!”

So it will begin once more. The heartbreak, the backstabbing, and the solutions. None of these things were anything that anybody wanted.

So many questions had to be answered. Was it suicide, or something more? Why two ropes? What’s with the glue stain? And these could only be answered if they put their heads together and talked it all out.

Yes...they had to win! The trial will begin again, but victory will be reached!


	26. Chapter 2: 2nd Class Trial-1

**A ROPE TOOK THE LIFE OF KEIKO KANON, BUT WAS IT IN HER CONTROL? DOES A MURDERER WALK AMONGST US, OR WAS A LIFE SACRIFICED SELFLESSLY? THE SECOND CLASS TRIAL OF COLD WASHED REALITY OPENS!**

**TRUTH BULLETS: 17/17**

**Monokuma File #2 [Counselor File #2]: The victim is Keiko Kanon, the Ultimate Party Planner. The time of death was almost exactly 10:00 PM. The body was discovered in the victim’s dorm room. The cause of death was trauma to the neck and subsequent loss of oxygen.**

**Noose [Knotted Rope]: The noose Keiko was killed with. It is one of the thicker varieties from the storage room, even though a normal rope would kill a person just fine.**

**Keiko’s Head Movement [Keiko’s Rigid Movement]: When the body was shaken by Kohaku, she noticed Keiko’s head swung around too much for an undamaged neck.**

**Keiko’s Shoes [Bare Feet]: Keiko was still wearing her shoes when she was hung. It is a custom to take off your shoes before you kill yourself, to not track your dirt and sins into the afterlife.**

**Glue Stain [Clean Shirt]: There was a shiny stain on Keiko’s shirt on the right shoulder. Kohaku identified it as glue.**

**Asuka’s Account [Asuka’s Lie]: Asuka was checking out the classrooms daily on the second floor since the floor unlocked. Before this morning, he says that the first classroom on the second floor was untouched.**

**First Floor Classrooms [Second Floor Classrooms]: All of the first floor classrooms have no more art supplies because Keiko used them for the counselor party.**

**Counselor Party [Student Party]: Keiko had thrown a party for the counselors to cheer them up after the Yakuza’s death. The counselors used this time to give them the Suicide Paradox motive, which caused many people to begin talking to each other based on their Suicide Paradox recipients.**

**Yoshie’s Account [Yoshie’s Lie]: Yoshie had witnessed Keiko taking rope from the storage room. He attempted to ask her about it, but she had quickly left, ignoring him.**

**Yuji’s Account [Yuji’s Lie]: When Yuji and Yukio were going upstairs to the game room right after the nighttime announcement, they ran into Shido. Yuji says he saw Shido not go to the dorms, but outside for a nighttime walk.**

**Sleepover Alibi [Sleepover Excuse]: Akihiko, Haruki, Kyou, and Daiki attended he sleepover in Akihiko’s room. All of them arrived before 10:05. It is impossible for them to set up the crime scene in the given time slot, five minutes, if Keiko’s death was murder.**

**Ropes in Storage [Ropes All There]: Two of the ropes in storage were missing, one a thinner brand and one a thicker quality.**

**Thin Rope [Thick Rope]: The Athlete found one the missing thin rope. No damage has been done to it, except for the fact that one end of it is damp.**

**The Athlete’s Account [The Athlete’s Lie]: The Athlete claims that someone planning to murder is separate from the seven people claiming to have solid alibis.**

**Hiroko’s Account [Hiroko’s Lie]: Hiroko claims that she used her magic to see Keiko’s recipient and who received her as a recipient. Hiroko states that she had gotten Keiko, while Keiko had gotten Haruki.**

**Classroom Storage Cabinet [Storage Room Cabinet]: The cabinet in the first classroom of the second floor. Its contents have been gone through, but all of the supplies except the glue are full. Hiroko was found putting it back into order strangely.**

**Empty Glue Bottle [Full Glue Bottle]: A broken glue bottle found in the classroom storage cabinet.**

**Monokuma:** Let’s begin with a basic explanation of the class trial! So, your votes will determine the results! On one hand, this is a special class trial! It comes down to one decision first: suicide or murder? If you pick suicide and you’re right, no execution! But if you’re wrong and pick murder, the recipient of the suicidal one will graduate, and nobody will be executed! However, if it’s murder...If you can figure out whodunnit, then only they will receive punishment! But if you pick the wrong one...Then I’ll punish everyone besides the blackened, and the one who deceived everyone else will graduate! Now, then...I’ll start you off with an easy one: alibis.

**Yuji: ** Done! Yukio, Shido, and I are okay there!

**Tamotsu: ** I can understand you and Yukio, but...Shido?

**Yuji: ** Yea! We all have an alibi to back each other up! Don’t we, Shido?

** _Shido: _ ** _ The alibi to support each other in this situation...We all agreed on it. _

**Monokuma File #2**

**Noose**

**Keiko’s Head Movement**

**Keiko’s Shoes**

**Glue Stain**

**Asuka’s Account**

**First Floor Classrooms**

**Counselor Party**

**Yoshie’s Account**

**>>Yuji’s Account**

**Sleepover Alibi**

**Ropes in Storage**

**Thin Rope**

**The Athlete’s Account**

**Hiroko’s Account**

**Classroom Storage Cabinet**

**Empty Glue Bottle**

** _Shido: _ ** _ Could it be this? _

**Shido: ** Y-Yea...Yukio and Yuji were going up to the game room the night of the murder. Right after the nighttime announcement.

**Yukio** : And we saw Shido ourselves, exitin’ the music room! Once we had a talk, he went outside for a nighttime walk.

**Asuka: ** A nighttime walk...how incredibly...

**Kohaku: ** Not suspicious at all. Shido does it every night. Tamotsu and I can testify to that.

**Tamotsu: ** Indeed. Instead, it would be suspicious if he didn’t take a nighttime walk. A detour from a daily occurrence in a schedule would certainly raise some red flags.

**Shido: ** A-And the murder happened right before or after the nighttime announcement, so...not any of us three had any time to murder Keiko!

**Hiroko: ** Do not say murder just yet. We don’t know the details of this case well enough to argue that it was a murderer right off the bat. But if it is a murder...I suppose you three are clear.

**Kyou: ** We should also bring to mind the sleepover, as that is an alibi as well!

**Akio: ** Really? I think there’s plenty of wriggle room in an alibi such as the sleepover.

**Daiki: ** Huh? Why do you think that?

**Akio: ** I don’t mean to incriminate you, but let me just explain my reasoning before you get upset.

_ State your case! _

**Truth Bullets** :

**Sleepover Alibi [Sleepover Excuse]**

**Yuji’s Account [Yuji’s Lie]**

**Monokuma File #2 [Counselor File #2]**

**Akio: ** I’ll explain in detail what I mean.

**Akio: ** The sleepover was supposed to start at  **10:00** , right?

**Akio: ** However, it can be understood if one arrives late.

**Akio: ** You could be late for  **up to ten minutes** before anybody begins to get suspicious.

**Yoshie: ** That does leave a good amount of time to set up a crime scene...

**Akio: ** All of the four partaking in the sleepover probably arrived at various times.

**Akio: There was enough time** for them to murder Keiko, then go to the party!

** _Shido: _ ** _ Was there really enough time to murder Keiko? I don’t know...I clearly heard otherwise during the investigation. _

**There was enough time** \-  **Sleepover Alibi**

** _Shido:_ ** _ No, that’s wrong! _

_ Break!! _

**Shido: ** Akio...Akihiko clarified that it would be impossible for any of the four to murder because of the time frame.

**Akio: ** Huh?

**Shido: ** All of them arrived at varying times, yes. But they arrived all in the span of five minutes after 10:00. S-So if the murder happened at around 10, that would only give them one to five minutes to kill Keiko and set up that crime scene.

**Yoshie: ** Killing and setting up a crime scene in one minute...sounds awfully tiring.

**Haruki: ** But nobody came to the sleepover winded at all. Nobody was flushed or deeply breathing.

**Asuka: ** So because of the time frame, the ones who went to the sleepover are innocent, because there’s just physically no time to kill Keiko.

**Tamotsu: ** Speaking of...we should attempt to tackle that huge question. Did Keiko kill herself, or did someone kill her?

**Yukio: ** I don’t mean to be insensitive, but it was definitely a suicide, going by the way she was actin’ after the party.

**Tamotsu: ** Go on.

**Yukio: ** W-Well...wasn’t she actin’ like it was all her fault? Wouldn’t she want to make it up to everyone by ensurin’ at least one person will get out alive?

_ State your case! _

**Truth Bullets:**

**Keiko’s Shoes [Bare Feet]**

**Keiko’s Head Movement [Keiko’s Rigid Movement]**

**Counselor Party [Student Party]**

**Yukio: ** Keiko definitely killed herself.

**Yukio: She was in the right state of mind** to do it, really!

**Tamotsu: ** She was definitely upset after the party...

**Yuuki: ** Eh, but how does that instantly mean suicide?

**Kohaku: ** I don’t really believe in the notion that she killed herself.

**Kohaku: Some critical evidence** points out some other story.

**Akihiko: ** What evidence?  **There’s really none.**

**Yukio: ** We can just assume she was murdered for now, but...

** _Shido: _ ** _ Keiko planned her death? I don’t really believe so. There was a part of her condition that counters Akihiko’s argument. _

**There’s really none.** \- **Keiko’s Shoes**

** _Shido: _ ** _ No, that’s wrong!  _

_ Break!! _

**Shido: ** Keiko’s feet provide another story, Akihiko.

**Hiroko: ** First knives, now feet? What other fetishes interest you?

**Shido: ** N-No! I should have phrased that better, sorry! I mean...Keiko was still wearing her shoes.

**Akihiko: ** Um...okay, cool. So what does that mean?

**Shido: ** Most of the standards here require that if you commit suicide, the least you can do is take off your shoes. Th-That way, you don’t track sins or dirt into the afterlife, much like taking off your shoes before you enter your house.

**Akihiko: ** And...why didn’t I know that if it’s a standard? I don’t think it’s important.

**Tamotsu: ** Of course you wouldn’t know. You’re a foreign exchange student. However, Keiko was raised in Japan, like the rest of us. She would probably know the custom of taking your shoes off before suicide.

**Yukio: ** Well, to be honest, shoes don’t exactly cover the whole story from top to bottom. There has to be more proof than that.

**Kohaku: ** Yea, there is a bit more. Can you explain this one, Shido?

** _Shido: _ ** _ Other evidence of it being a murder instead of a suicide...well, a certain someone mentioned the fact that a suspicious person was walking around...that would have to be... _

**Monokuma File #2**

**Noose**

**Keiko’s Head Movement**

**Keiko’s Shoes**

**Glue Stain**

**Asuka’s Account**

**First Floor Classrooms**

**Counselor Party**

**Yoshie’s Account**

**Yuji’s Account**

**Sleepover Alibi**

**Ropes in Storage**

**Thin Rope**

**>>The Athlete’s Account**

**Hiroko’s Account**

**Classroom Storage Cabinet**

**Empty Glue Bottle**

** _Shido: _ ** _ Could it be this? _

**Shido: ** The Athlete mentioned that last night, there was definitely somebody walking around and planning to murder. This can’t be a coincidence, you know.

**Asuka: ** And why are we trusting the institution of an enemy?

**Shido: ** W-Well, they don’t have a basis to really lie...

** _Yoshie: _ ** _ Your good intentions are misguided! _

**Yoshie: ** You seem to be forgetting about what I had told you. I saw Keiko take a rope from the storage room. She used that to kill herself.

**Shido: ** Y-Yoshie, it’s only logical that she was killed, because...

**Yoshie: ** Such a decision is irrefutably wrong. I must guide you on the correct path. Don’t worry, I won’t try and raise my voice. You aren’t a disobedient child, after all, just an incorrect one.

** _Rebuttal Showdown Start!_ **

**Truth Knives:**

**Keiko’s Shoes**

**Noose**

**Yoshie: ** It’s simple, if you think about it.

**Yoshie: ** My account proves the theory that Keiko killed herself.

**Yoshie: ** There’s no room for doubt in this case.

**Yoshie: ** She  **killed herself** to save her Suicide Paradox recipient.

_ Advance! _

**Shido: ** W-We can’t conclude something based on one account with no evidence backing it up.

**Shido: ** There has to be a sort of discrepancy in your account somewhere...

**Yoshie: ** I apologize, but there is none.

**Yoshie: ** I saw Keiko go into  **the storage room** ...

**Yoshie: ** Then come out with a  **thin rope.**

**Yoshie: ** When I attempted to question her, she fled the scene.

**Yoshie: ** That is the truth. She killed herself.

** _Shido: _ ** _ There must be something that counters Yoshie’s words...a flaw that he cannot understand due to not having investigated the crime scene like Kohaku and I did. _

**thin rope.** \-  **Noose**

** _Shido:_ ** _ I’ll cut your argument in half! _

_ Break!! _

**Shido: ** You said...a thin rope? Is that what you saw?

**Yoshie: ** Yes. She had taken one of the thin ropes from the storage room.

**Shido: ** Then...I-If you’re right, why was the noose made from the thick rope from storage?

**Yoshie: ** Huh? It is?

**Kohaku: ** Yea! Keiko was hung with a really thick rope, nothing like the thinner varieties in the storage with it! If your account is correct, that means that she got murdered, cuz it isn’t the same rope!

**Yoshie: ** W-Well then...I apologise. I seem to have been thinking illogically.

**Tamotsu: ** But that means it was indeed a murder, instead of a suicide. Keiko may have been planning to kill herself, but regardless...somebody killed her.

**Haruki: ** S-Someone must have used the Suicide Paradox to try and frame the recipient for the murder, right?

**Yuji: ** Yea! If somebody died, immediately, suspicion would go to whoever the victim was meant to save by suicide! Because regardless of the cause of death, they would still be freed from the school.

**Hiroko: ** Though that reveals a new question entirely...whatever happened to the thin rope Keiko took, if Yoshie’s account is true?

** _Shido: _ ** _ What happened to the first rope that was taken...Something really odd happened to it before it was found again. There was a strange quality to a part of it... _

**Monokuma File #2**

**Noose**

**Keiko’s Head Movement**

**Keiko’s Shoes**

**Glue Stain**

**Asuka’s Account**

**First Floor Classrooms**

**Counselor Party**

**Yoshie’s Account**

**Yuji’s Account**

**Sleepover Alibi**

**Ropes in Storage**

**>>Thin Rope**

**The Athlete’s Account**

**Hiroko’s Account**

**Classroom Storage Cabinet**

**Empty Glue Bottle**

** _Shido: _ ** _ Could this be it? _

**Shido: ** Wh-When Kohaku and I found the rope again, there was certainly a strange new quality to it. There was no damage to it, but...one end was damp with some sort of liquid.

**Tamotsu: ** Liquid...what sort?

**Kohaku: ** It was definitely a clear kind, because the rope wasn’t colored oddly. It must have been water.

**Akio: ** But when did water possibly get on the rope?

**Akihiko: ** The water obviously got onto the rope for a reason, to be sure. Water doesn’t get accidentally spilled on stuff during a murder setup.

**Daiki: ** Not to mention the rope seemed to be immediately removed from the crime scene...the culprit seemed to want to get rid of evidence.

** _Shido: _ ** _ Getting rid of evidence...that would mean that the water was on purpose, to hide something more... _

** _Hangman’s Gambit 4D_ **

**_ _ S _ E _ A _ _ Y**

** _What was the reason the rope was wet?_ **

**WASHED AWAY**

** _Shido: _ ** _ I can understand this now! _

**Shido: ** The rope was wet because...there was incriminating evidence on it, so the culprit had to wash it out!

**Tamotsu: ** If your hands were dirty with something like chalk, it would leave a visible print on the rope. That would be one thing, as chalk doesn’t really indicate one person. However, this substance was so incriminating that the culprit had to wash it away to avoid being found out.

**Kohaku: ** Hm...

**Asuka: ** You seem to have realized something, Kohaku. Care to detail it to the rest of the class?

**Kohaku: ** The thin rope was used in the murder, then. And seeing how Keiko seemed to have planned to kill herself...I can now understand that weird thing about her body.

**Yuuki: ** That weird thing? Like what?

** _Kohaku: _ ** _ Time to remember some shiz, Shi-Shi! _

**Kohaku: ** There was an uber strange thing about her body that a death by hanging with the thick rope wouldn’t cause. However, if the thin rope was used, it would explain everything. Just let me guide you, Shi-Shi, and you’ll understand plain as day!

** _LOGIC REFRESH_ **

**Bullets: 4**

**Kohaku: ** Keiko’s body had a really weird  **[Keiko’s Shoes]** quality to it.

**Kohaku: ** I only found it when I shook her body.  **[Keiko’s Head Movement]**

**Kohaku: ** And the noose couldn’t have  **[Glue Stain] ** possibly caused it.

**Kohaku** : However, if she was actually initially killed with the thin rope?

**Kohaku: [Noose] ** That would explain everything about that weird thing!

**Keiko’s Shoes**

**>>Keiko’s Head Movement**

**Glue Stain**

**Noose**

** _Shido: _ ** _ I can conclude to that! _

_ Complete!! _

**Shido: ** If you only found it while shaking Keiko’s body...That means that it must have been the movement of her head you mentioned, right?

**Kohaku: ** Yea. A thick rope wouldn’t have caused something like that.

**Kyou: ** Hold! You just explain your reasoning to the rest of us, both of you!

**Shido: ** S-Sorry! Kohaku found that...when Keiko’s body moved, her head moves too much for an undamaged neck.

**Haruki: ** You mean like...her neck was broken?

**Daiki: ** And you said a thick rope couldn’t do that?

**Kohaku: ** No. If you hung her with a thick one, there would be more cushioning and less of a chance of a broken neck. However, if she initially got hung by the smaller one...

**Kyou: ** There would be less protection, and her neck would snap under the sudden pressure without proper cushioning!

**Hiroko: ** That must be when the incriminating substance was put on. When the culprit was taking down Keiko’s body, and their hand accidentally rubbed on the substance to the thin rope, causing them to need to wash and hide it.

**Yukio: ** So Keiko planned to kill herself, but the culprit took advantage of it and killed her instead? That’s nice, but...Who did it?


	27. Chapter 2: 2nd Class Trial-2

**Yukio: ** I can understand that figurin’ out how the murder happened is a valuable piece of information, but...We still have no idea who did it. We understand that the culprit took Keiko by surprise, but...

**Akio: ** What if they didn’t?

**Yukio: ** Whuh-whuh-wheeea?

** _Shido: _ ** _ Akio is saying...what? _

**Akio: ** Sorry for interrupting you like that, Yukio, but I do need to speak on something. An odd flaw that occurs if Keiko was taken by surprise by the killer, and it has to do with dear Yoshie’s account.

** _Shido: _ ** _ A problem that appears when you take in Yoshie’s account? What does he mean by that? _

_ State your case! _

**Truth Bullets** :

**Yoshie’s Account [Yoshie’s Lie]**

**Noose [Knotted Rope]**

**Thin Rope [Thick Rope]**

**Akio: ** We will discuss what we know now.

**Akio: ** That way,  **the flaw of this argument** becomes clear.

**Tamotsu: ** Well, according to Yoshie, Keiko took a thin rope from the storage room before the nighttime announcement.

**Tamotsu: ** This was also before the meetup of Yukio, Yuji, and Shido, and of the sleepover.

**Hiroko: ** She  **went to her room** with the rope to hang herself...

**Hiroko: ** To  **save her recipient** of the Suicide Paradox motive.

**Haruki: ** And that’s where the culprit  **took her by surprise** , right?

** _Shido: _ ** _ This is initially hard, but...once you think about the cause of death, it becomes very odd on why exactly Keiko died the way she did. _

**the flaw of this argument** \-  **took her by surprise**

** _Shido: _ ** _ No, that’s wrong! _

_ Break!! _

**Shido: ** If Keiko was taken by surprise and killed...wouldn’t the method of murder have been different?

**Haruki: ** H-Huh? Whaddaya mean?

**Shido: ** Th-The culprit had no way of knowing if Keiko was going to kill herself. If they were going to kill her, they would have taken a weapon of some sort to murder her with. Instead...she died by hanging.

**Yukio: ** You can’t possibly be goin’ at such a stretch! You’re basically suggestin’ that Keiko had been cooperatin’ with her own murderer!

**Tamotsu: ** I think that’s exactly what Shido and Akio are getting at.

**Yukio: ** Uh buh-buh-buh-bwuuuuh?! You’re kiddin’!

**Kohaku: ** It does make sense. Keiko may have been planning to kill herself, but...if she heard someone was going to attempt to kill her, would she have even fought back? Giving up her life to them sounds honorable in question. The culprit knew this state of mind, and instead of killing her...approached her and gave her the choice of dying for them.

**Daiki: ** But when could this have possibly happened? She shut herself into her room most of the time after the motive announcement, and died right around the nighttime announcement.

** _Shido: _ ** _ The only time the culprit could have come to her...she locked herself in her room the whole day after the party, so the only time would be... _

**>>During the counselor party**

>>During the day

>>Right before her death

** _Shido: _ ** _ I got it! _

**Shido: ** There was a time for the culprit to go to her. Right after the motive announcement.

**Yuji: ** You mean at the party!

**Shido: ** I-I won’t be able to say this for sure, since I was the first one to leave, but...the culprit only had that window of time to talk to Keiko so they could plan her death!

**Kyou: ** Then that means she was never depressed...she just said she was because she and the culprit were setting up the crime scene in her room, so she didn’t want anybody to approach her in that time!

**Yoshie: ** While everyone was out and about, she must have been sneaking around the school with the culprit to gather supplies for her murder, right?

**Asuka: ** Yes. I did tell Shido something about the first floor classrooms, if I remember correctly.

** _Shido: _ ** _ What Asuka told me? Let’s see...that was... _

>>They were locked

**>>They were emptied**

>>They were untouched

** _Shido: _ ** _ I got it! _

**Shido: ** You must be talking about how they were emptied the other day.

**Tamotsu: ** Can you please clarify what you mean by empty?

**Shido: ** Y-Yea, I can. The counselor party needed supplies for the decorations. So Keiko took all of the art supplies from all of the first floor classrooms. So that’s why Keiko had to get risky for a bit.

** _Shido: _ ** _ Evidence that Keiko had to take a risk to set up the crime scene...I must reveal it! _

_ State your case! _

**Truth Bullets** :

**Asuka’s Account [Asuka’s Lie]**

**Classroom Storage Cabinet [Storage Room Cabinet]**

**Glue Stain [Clean Shirt]**

**Kyou: ** Keiko took a risk in setting up the crime scene?

**Akihiko: ** And it has something to do with the empty classrooms?

**Tamotsu: ** Did Keiko  **need more supplies?**

**Hiroko: ** Did the culprit  **plant some false leads?**

**Akio: ** Or is  **the art stuff unrelated?**

**Kohaku: ** Shi-Shi, let’s think about this.

**Kohaku: ** There was only one thing that art supplies did in the murder...

** _Shido: _ ** _ One thing only...And that one thing is so meaningless, too. Why was it there? _

**plant some false leads** \-  **Glue Stain**

** _Shido: _ ** _ Your logic is irrefutable! _

_ Consent! _

**Shido: ** Hiroko is 100% correct.

**Hiroko: ** Finally you see some sense, peacock.

**Shido: ** The reason the second floor classrooms was messed up was that...it was entirely a false lead.

**Yukio: ** Whaaat? But it’s so much effort!

**Tamotsu: ** And Keiko and the culprit had the whole day to act. Keiko may have been in her room, but the culprit probably was going out and about. They could have easily shaken up the classroom storage cabinet to make a false lead.

**Kohaku: ** And that’s where the glue stain on Keiko’s shirt came from. An entirely false lead.

**Tamotsu: ** But they also made an error. Probably from the cabinet, they got something on their hands, then on the thin rope Keiko was hung with. That caused them to have to swap ropes and hang her with the thick one so they could wash and hide away the thinner one.

**Kohaku: ** Hiroko, is that why you were doing that weird thing?

**Hiroko: ** Oh? What weird thing?

**Kohaku: ** Putting away the contents of the storage cabinet. You knew it was a false lead, didn’t you? You just didn’t want us to get hung up on it.

**Hiroko: ** I don’t care if any of us die. I just wanted to bring Keiko’s murderer to justice. So yes, I cleaned the storage cabinet in an attempt to divert your attention from it. I had no idea Asuka knew of it.

**Asuka: ** And you did that while knowing suspicion would be thrown on you because of it?

**Hiroko: ** I knew Kohaku would be smarter than that.

**Kohaku: ** D’awwww! You make me blush!

**Hiroko: ** However, I want you to think on this. Swapping the ropes only takes a minute.

** _Shido: _ ** _ Huh? What does she mean by that? _

** _MASS PANIC DEBATE!_ **

**Truth Bullets:**

**Sleepover Alibi [Sleepover Excuse]**

**Yuji’s Account [Yuji’s Lie]**

**Asuka’s Account [Asuka’s Lie]**

**Yuji: ** You screwed with the crime scene!/ **Yuuki: ** Eh, I’m gettin’ sleepy.../ **Yoshie: ** Only takes a minute?

**Hiroko: ** Only to divert your attention from a  **red herring.** / **Haruki: ** Huuuuh?! Don’t sleep now!/ **Daiki: ** What does she mean by that?

**Yukio: ** But doesn’t that just make you suspicious?/ **Kyou: ** Yuuki! Have you been getting enough sleep?/ **Akihiko: ** The rope swap takes one minute, I guess...

**Hiroko: ** None of you would be that stupid, right?/ **Yuuki: ** Eh, is that really the point here?/ **Akihiko: ** But that still doesn’t matter!

**Hiroko: ** Anyways, you’re missing some  **valuable evidence!** / **Kyou: ** As a classmate, I must help confirm your physical health!/ **Akihiko: The alibis remain the same** , after all.

** _Shido: _ ** _ Everybody’s emotions are boiling up again...But that didn’t stop me from hearing that one statement. It’s made me realize something about what Hiroko said, and I need to expose that lie! _

**The alibis remain the same** \-  **[Sleepover Excuse]**

** _Shido: _ ** _ I’ll make my own truth! _

_ Break!! _

**Shido: ** Akio...remember what you said, all the way in the beginning of the trial?

**Akio: ** Huh? Why...Why yes. Something about the sleepover alibi having wiggle room...

**Shido: ** With what Hiroko said, and the fact that Keiko was helping with a majority of the setup...Your argument can come back as true.

**Daiki: ** Wh...Are you saying that...?!

**Shido: ** Only a minute was needed for the final acts of the murder. Even running back and forth from the storage room, you would have time to catch your breath and lower your heart rate. So the sleepover alibi is now no longer valid!

**Haruki: ** Wh...What are you saying...?!

**Hiroko: ** Since Keiko was in cooperation with the culprit, they would immediately seek out an alibi, wouldn’t they? The sleepover is the perfect excuse for that. Therefore...It was one of you four that murdered Keiko.

**Kyou: ** Wh...What...

**Yuji: ** Hold on a freaking minute! That’s a huge leap!

**Yukio: ** Y-Yea! Didn’t we already establish that the sleepover alibi is still solid!

**Tamotsu: ** Yes, but back then, we didn’t exactly know of-

**Kyou: ** Th-This is reverse psychology! The culprit probably has no alibi at all!

**Shiro: ** L-Let’s not divide ourselves here!

** _Monokuma: _ ** _ Divide and conquer your arguments! _

**Monokuma: ** It seems that the time has come for our favorite part of the class trial! Everyone, please remain in your seats while they are arranged!

** _Shido: _ ** _ Everyone is in disbelief at somebody at the sleepover having cooperated with Keiko to murder her, but...The sleepover was too much of a coincidence. We have to prove to them that it’s too much of a possibility to be ignored. _

**SPLIT OPINION**

**Team Blanc:**

**Akihiko, Yukio, Asuka, Haruki, Yuji, Kyou, Daiki, The Princess, The Mechanic**

**Team Noir:**

**Shido, Kohaku, Hiroko, Akio, Yuuki, Yoshie, Tamotsu, Hope, The Athlete**

**Keywords:**

**Shido: Spotted**

**Hiroko: Time Slot**

**Hiroko: Others**

**Kohaku: Coincidence**

**Akio: Alibi**

**Yoshie: Winded**

**Tamotsu: Proof**

**Is the sleepover an excuse or an alibi?**

**Team Blanc: It’s an alibi!**

**Team Noir: It’s an excuse!**

**DEBATE SCRUM START!**

**Akihiko: ** The time slot of the sleepover couldn’t allow for any of us to murder.

** _Shido: _ ** _ Hiroko! _

**Hiroko: ** As I have explained, the crime scene circumstances could easily allow you to disregard the time slot.

**Kyou: ** None of us were winded when we arrived at the sleepover!

** _Shido: _ ** _ Yoshie! _

**Yoshie: ** If the rope swap only took a minute, that’s plenty of time to make yourself not look winded.

**Yukio: ** If the culprit ran to the storage room to get the other rope, they would have been spotted by one of us three!

** _Shido: _ ** _ I-I can do it! _

**Shido: ** The culprit could have just been hiding to not be spotted by us!

**Haruki: ** B-But the sleepover is an alibi, isn’t it?

** _Shido: _ ** _ Akio! _

**Akio: ** An alibi that has visible flaws in it once uncovered.

**Daiki: ** There’s others who don’t even have an alibi.

** _Shido: _ ** _ Hiroko! _

**Hiroko: ** Yes, but we’re not saying these others cannot possibly be the culprit.

**Yuji: ** Why are we only focusing on four people and a coincidence?!

** _Shido: _ ** _ Kohaku! _

**Kohaku: ** There ain’t any way this sleepover shiz was a coincidence.

**Asuka: ** If this is true, why don’t we have any proof of this?

** _Shido: _ ** _ Tamotsu! _

**Tamotsu: ** We’ll figure out the proof after we stop shutting this theory down.

**FULL COUNTER**

** _Team Noir: _ ** _ THIS IS OUR ANSWER! _

** _BREAK!!_ **

**Shido: ** The sleepover holds the culprit, and that’s the truth!

**Haruki: ** B-But...it’s still impossible!

**Hiroko: ** Not impossible. Kohaku, you must find some sort of evidence that breaks through this argument of the sleepover alibi.

**Kohaku: ** Evidence...? Hmm, hmm-hmm...Evidence...Oh! I got it! Shi-Shi, remember the accounts we collected, and it would all make sense.

** _Shido: _ ** _ The accounts? That would reveal why one of the four at the sleepover is the killer? When we think about exact words, and that Monokuma loves to use them...she must be referring to... _

**Monokuma File #2**

**Noose**

**Keiko’s Head Movement**

**Keiko’s Shoes**

**Glue Stain**

**Asuka’s Account**

**First Floor Classrooms**

**Counselor Party**

**Yoshie’s Account**

**Yuji’s Account**

**Sleepover Alibi**

**Ropes in Storage**

**Thin Rope**

**>>The Athlete’s Account**

**Hiroko’s Account**

**Classroom Storage Cabinet**

**Empty Glue Bottle**

** _Shido: _ ** _ Could it be this? _

**Shido: ** H-Hey, um...Athlete?

**The Athlete: ** Oh, huh? What’s up?

**Shido: ** If I remember correctly, you said something to me and Kohaku...

** _The Athlete:_ ** _ There’s one person you missed. Somebody roaming around during the night, working under everyone’s noses to take a life. _

** _Kohaku:_ ** _ Roaming around...? _

** _Shido:_ ** _ A-Are you saying the murderer isn’t any of the seven people? We knew that already, but... _

**The Athlete: ** Huh? Oh, yea, I said that.

**Kyou: ** But wouldn’t that mean that...It was somebody outside of the sleepover?

**Kohaku: ** No. You need to think about exact words. After all, Keiko was planning to kill herself. That counts as murder: a murder of self. If we put Keiko in the role of that eighth person...

**Tamotsu: ** That proves that it was one of the people at the sleepover.

**Haruki: ** HWAAAAAAAUH?!

**Yuuki: ** Uweh? What did I miss?

**Daiki: ** Oh, wow. You woke him up, Haruki.

**Akihiko: ** What...but...dammit! Caught in the center again?

**Kohaku: ** Nope. Not at all. All you have to think about is a few certain bits of criteria, such as...a volatile reaction? Shido, care to do the honors?

** _Shido: _ ** _ A volatile reaction? Let’s see...HE clearly began to freak out once the attention turned to the sleepover alibi. Such a reaction couldn’t come from an innocent person...the only person I can think of is... _

**Select Someone!**

_ Shido Norihisa _

_ Takehiko Juzaburo _

_ Tamotsu Sugita _

_ Yuuki Shunsho _

_ Hiroko Nariakira _

_ Asuka Akira _

** _>>Haruki Ryobe_ **

_ Akio Bussho _

_ The Yakuza _

_ The Mechanic _

_ The Princess _

_ Hope _

_ The Athlete _

_ Akihiko Kenjiro _

_ Yukio Izo _

_ Yuji Izo _

_ Daiki Sorai _

_ Kohaku Hikozaemon _

_ Kyou Shun _

_ Keiko Kanon _

_ Yoshie Kazushi _

** _Shido: _ ** _ It has to be you! _


	28. Chapter 2: 2nd Class Trial-3

**Shido: ** Haruki Ryobe...

**Haruki: ** H-Huh? Yea, what is it?

**Shido: ** You’re the killer of Keiko, aren’t you?

**Haruki: ** ...H...Huh?

**Shido: ** Your reaction certainly wasn’t subdued once we began to talk about the validity of the sleepover alibi. Compared to the other three, who remained startled but calm...you had quite a freak out right there.

**Yuuki: ** Eh? Tiny, sweet Haruki killed Keiko?

**Asuka: ** Yes, I...doubt it myself. He is quite a small one, and not strong in the slightest.

**Hiroko: ** But you all have to remember. Keiko was cooperating with her murderer. She wanted them to kill her, and both had planned for it over the course of a whole day. Physical strength means nothing when you aren’t overpowering somebody.

**Haruki: ** Wait...ha...how? How can I possibly have k-killed Keiko?!

**Kohaku: ** Quite a few reasons, actually. Can you care to detail them, Shi-Shi?

** _Shido: _ ** _ Me? Detailing the reasons? Well...I guess my thinking will have to start back...all the way to the motive. _

**Sometimes, a strong of questions must be solved in quick succession. This is the art of ** **Inner Motorways** **. Passing on along in your ** **Mind Motorcycle** **, you will pass obstacles and hurdles along the road to get to a question. Travel down the correct answer-labelled highway to progress, or get shot down and lose influence. Happy motorcycling!**

**INNER MOTORWAY**

**Question 1: What was the formula of the motive?**

Commit suicide, and someone will be killed

Commit murder, and somebody else will go free

**>>Commit suicide, and somebody else will go free**

**Question 2: According to Hiroko, who was Keiko’s Suicide Paradox recipient?**

**>>Haruki Ryobe**

Kohaku Hikozaemon

Yuuki Shunsho

**Question 3: Who suggested the sleepover to the other students?**

Akihiko Kenjiro

**>>Haruki Ryobe**

Daiki Sorai

_ Complete! _

**Shido: ** Hiroko, I don’t want to doubt your magic, so...

**Hiroko: ** Then don’t.

**Shido: ** Is it true that Keiko had Haruki as a recipient of the Suicide Paradox motive?

**Hiroko: ** Uwaaaaaaaaht?!

**Hiroko: ** I investigated with my magic, and...indeed. Keiko Kanon received Haruki Ryobe as a recipient for the Suicide Paradox motive.

**Haruki: ** W-Wait! You have no proof of th-!

**Hiroko: ** One strike. Continue on, peacock.

**Shido: ** U-Um...There’s also the fact that while Daiki initially proposed the question of another gathering, it was YOU that mentioned a sleepover.

** _Tamotsu: _ ** _ Are you saying you want another party, Daiki? _

** _Daiki: _ ** _ W-Well, I wouldn’t say no if somebody suggested a much smaller gathering. Like...two to five people? _

** _Haruki: _ ** _ Oh! Like a sleepover? _

**Shido: ** At that time, you and Keiko would have already decided that she was to be killed by you. An alibi at nighttime would have helped you immensely. Instead, it has become your undoing.

**Haruki: ** W-Waait!

**Hiroko: ** Two strikes. Now, peacock...Why don’t you mention to him another blunder of his?

**Shido: ** Wait...another?

** _Hiroko: _ ** _ Listen well, peacock. _

**Hiroko: ** Haruki Ryobe has made another mistake in his setup of the crime scene. Such a clumsy boy...If you’ve forgotten it, I guess I’ll have to remind you about it.

** _LOGIC REFRESH_ **

**Bullets: 4**

**Hiroko: ** Haruki Ryobe is the Ultimate Painter,  **[Hiroko’s Account]** correct?

**Hiroko: ** This talent linked up to incriminating evidence.

**Hiroko: ** Evidence  **[Thin Rope] ** he attempted to destroy.

**Hiroko: [The Athlete’s Account] ** You must know what I am referring to.

**Hiroko: ** Exposing this cover-up  **[Classroom Storage Cabinet] ** will deal the third strike.

**Hiroko’s Account**

**>>Thin Rope**

**The Athlete’s Account**

**Classroom Storage Cabinet**

** _Shido: _ ** _ I can conclude to that! _

_ Complete!! _

**Shido: ** If we’re on the subject of destroying evidence...You must be referring to the thin rope Keiko was initially hung with.

**Hiroko: ** Correct. That’s exactly what I’m talking about.

**Haruki: ** H-Huh? What’s so incriminating about some rope?

**Tamotsu: ** Are you referring to the substance that was supposedly washed away and having caused the last-second swap of ropes?

**Hiroko: ** Think about it. What substance would incriminate Haruki?

** _Shido: _ ** _ A substance that would pinpoint Haruki as the killer...That would be... _

**>>Paint**

>>Glue

>>Chalk

** _Shido: _ ** _ I got it! _

**Shido: ** The only kind of substance that would incriminate Haruki was...paint, right? As the Ultimate Painter, doubt would have gone to him a lot faster than it has now.

**Hiroko: ** Any other suspicious liquid would probably have been left alone. But when Haruki accidentally spilled paint on the rope, he must have realized that it had to be removed before anything happened. Three strikes.

**Shido: ** H-Haruki...

**Haruki: ** *sniff* Uuuu...

**Shido: ** C-Can you please give up, now? I don’t want to doubt you any longer, so...

** _Haruki: _ ** _ You better shush up! _

**Haruki: ** L-Listen to me! Some dumb paint can’t put the blame on me as the killer! It was just a stroke of clumsiness from the killer!

**Shido: ** H-Haruki, your back’s against the wall now. Please give up...

**Haruki: ** I-I’m not giving up! Not when I didn’t kill Keiko! I’m being framed!

** _Rebuttal Showdown Start!_ **

**Truth Knives:**

**Yuji’s Account**

**Classroom Storage Cabinet**

**Thin Rope**

**Haruki: ** Why are you pinning the blame on me?

**Haruki: ** There’s no possible way it was me, though!

**Haruki: ** Not only am I  **too small** to hang Keiko like that...

**Haruki: ** It’s because of the  **sleepover alibi** , remember?!

**Haruki: ** If I had ran back and forth from Keiko’s room and the storage room...

**Haruki: ** I would have been out of breath by the time I arrived!

_ Advance! _

**Shido: ** Tamotsu actually mentioned a counterargument to this.

**Shido: ** There was actually plenty of time to catch your breath and stabilize your heartrate before you went to the sleepover.

**Haruki: ** B-But I arrived second!

**Haruki: ** And besides, I never left my room before then!

**Haruki: ** Because if I did...

**Haruki: You three would have seen me!**

**Haruki: ** You said so yourselves, d-didn’t you?!

** _Shido: _ ** _ It’s true that we originally mentioned that we would have spotted the culprit...but back then, we didn’t realize it was Haruki in question. Actually, he slipped up in the beginning, and revealed the reason why... _

**You three would have seen me!** \-  **too small**

** _Shido: _ ** _ I’ll cut your argument in half! _

_ Break!! _

**Shido: ** Monokuma, I have an important question for you.

**Monokuma: ** Oh? Well, fire away!

**Shido: ** What’s Haruki’s height, by any chance?

**Monokuma: ** Oh? His height? Well, if you just ask, he’s very small, especially by high school standards! Just below five feet!

**Yuji: ** Wow! Even smaller than me!

**Shido: ** Which means he probably had a much easier time hiding himself when he spotted me and the brothers in the main room. Plus, unlike some of us, he has form-fitting clothes, so he barely takes up any space in a room at all, compared to some of us taller and more well-built students.

**Haruki: ** Wh-Whuuuuh?!

**Yukio: ** Dude, you’re just diggin’ yourself down a deeper hole. We weren’t even talkin’ about the hidin’ problem, but you just solved it for us.

**Haruki: ** N-No...No! I won’t let you do this to me! Sh-Shut up! I...I didn’t kill Keiko! *Sob* I didnnnn’t!

** _Shido: _ ** _ I’ll hand it to him, he won’t give up, no matter what. But the pressure is on, now. He’s going to buckle in, with just one last push. I know it. _

** _Reasoning Retaliation Start!_ **

** _Phase 1:_ **

** _This is not the truth you want!_ **

** _I’m not possibly the blackened!_ **

** _I could never even hurt Keiko!_ **

** _I’m being framed by the real culprit!_ **

** _Just think about this, please!_ **

** _Phase 2:_ **

** _We’ll all die if you continue like this!_ **

** _Every last one of us, executed!_ **

** _And the killer will walk free out of here!_ **

** _I can’t die like that, so please..._ **

** _Please reconsider what you’re doing!_ **

** _Phase 3:_ **

** _No, please, stop!_ **

** _I didn’t do it, I swear!_ **

** _I swear on everything life lost here!_ **

** _Keiko probably just killed herself!_ **

** _Killed herself to try and save me!_ **

** _Why do you keep pressing this agenda? What proof do you have it was me?!_ **

**THE PAINT**

**OF THE CLASSROOM**

**STORAGE CABINET**

**WAS UNTOUCHED**

** _WAAAAAAAAAAAGH!_ **

_ Break!! _

**Shido: ** Haruki, if you’re not the culprit, then tell me...where did the paint washed away on the thin rope come from?

**Haruki: ** F-From the classroom storage cabinet, obviously. Just like where the glue came from.

**Shido: ** No, that’s wrong. The paint in the storage cabinet was untouched and fully sealed.

**Haruki: ** H...Huh?

**Shido: ** On the contrary, the only place where the paint would have come from...is your own personal belongings of paint. In fact, if we investigate your body for portable paint canisters, I’m sure we may find either one suspiciously missing or missing quite a bit from it being spilled on the rope.

**Kohaku: ** Well? Do you give up yet?

**Haruki: ** Uh...uuuh...*sniffle* Waaaaaaaaaah! I’m sorryyyyyyy!

**Hiroko: ** That’s as much of an admittal as we will get. Care to do the honors, peacock?

**Shido: ** I...I will. Let’s do this.

** _Shido: _ ** _ And the story goes like this. _

**“It all began the other day, as soon as the Suicide Paradox motive was announced. While it made some interact with others outside of their initial comfort zone...it made the victim, Keiko, seek out her recipient of the motive, our case’s culprit. Somehow, she convinced them to murder her to save their life, or at least help her commit suicide. She faked a depressive episode just so the two could begin to set up the crime scene in her room. Because of that, they had a whole day, and plenty of time to make adjustments to the plan.**

**“At one point, the two decided to create a false lead. In a second floor classroom, they messed up the classroom storage cabinet, and broke a glue bottle, even getting a stain on Keiko’s shirt in the process. This was to throw off suspicion on the culprit, who was primarily involved in arts, and evidence of art being used would make us focus on other people who didn’t have portable arts.**

**“Back in the room that night, the plan was finally enacted. The culprit took the rope, and Keiko allowed her neck to be snapped, killing her. However, when finishing up the crime scene, the culprit forgot many things. One was that Keiko was still wearing her shoes, indicating a murder instead of suicide. Another was that their portable arts broke, and got on the thin rope. Seeing this, the culprit tried to wash it out, but realized an emergency swap had to occur.**

**“They tried to run to the storage room, but were stopped by three people in the main room. Yukio, Yuji and I had run into each other by chance. The culprit was able to hide easily, due to their small size. Once we scattered, they quickly got into the storage room. They hid the thinner rope, and took a thicker one. Going back to Keiko’s room, they hung her with that...and finally arrived at the sleepover they had suggested to some of the others. This was to be their alibi for nighttime.**

**“The next morning, Tamotsu had noticed Keiko had barely eaten for the last day. He, along with me and Yuuki, went to her room with a meal, only to discover her dead body. Meanwhile, not only did the Athlete find the hidden thin rope, Hiroko almost immediately learned the identity of the culprit. In order to guide us, she cleaned up the storage cabinet false lead, though it put her under some scrutiny for a while.**

**“The only one who carried his paints with him everywhere, and the murderer of Keiko Kanon...Can only be you! Haruki Ryobe, the Ultimate Painter!”**

**COMPLETE!!**

**Haruki** : *hic* *sob*

**Tamotsu: ** Haruki...You really did...

**Akihiko: ** I can’t believe it...All you thought of the sleepover was...an alibi. Not anything fun.

**Kyou: ** Gh...You...

**Haruki: ** I-I’m so sorry, everyone...sh-she told me it was the right thing...to do...

**Monokuma: ** Well, then, if everyone has decided on who they think the culprit is...in front of you is a button set. Please use it to select who you think the culprit is. And don’t think about abstaining your vote! You’ll be punished for that! Will you pick the right choice, or the dreadfully wrong one? What’s it gonna be? What’s it gonna beeeeee~?!

_ The buttons light up as everyone pressed on them. The screen shows an almost unanimous vote for the Haruki, but two votes for the deceased Keiko. It’s over. _


	29. Chapter 2: 2nd Class Trial-4

Monokuma gave his signature laugh, startling most of the students out of their stupor. “Looks like you all guessed correctly! The murderer of Keiko Kanon was the one and only Haruki Ryobe!”

“Wait...” Yukio murmured. “Two people voted for...Keiko?”

Haruki spoke in a quivering murmur. “Um...One of those votes...was mine?”

Akihiko frowned. “Then who was the other?”

“That would be mine.” Everybody looked shocked at Tamotsu. “That was...my vote.”

“T-Tamotsu...” Shido stammered.

“I didn’t want to think Haruki would do something like this. Maybe Keiko just...killed herself and framed him?” Tamotsu clenched his teeth. “Anything to ignore the truth of this case...”

Haruki only gave a sad smile. “I-It’s okay...I think. I don’t know...”

“But...why?” Shido asked. “Haruki, why did you?”

“Because...she told me to.” Haruki looked sad. “Keiko...told me to help me let her commit suicide, but make it look like a murder. S-So...I could go free...and nobody else will die.” Haruki then hiccuped. “But it...it...it went wrong.”

_ 9:58. Haruki only had a few minutes to spare before he had to go to the sleepover to solidify his alibi. He stood in Keiko’s room, his back to the girl also inside. _

_ “Haruki?” He looked behind him at Keiko. She was standing on her bed, the rope hanging right in front of her face. “I think...It’s time.” _

_ “Keiko...I-I don’t want you to do this,” Haruki began. _

_ She only lifted a hand. “I’ve memorized it, at this point. No, Keiko, don’t sacrifice yourself for my sake! It isn’t right!” She only stook out her tongue. “Don’t worry! It’ll all be okay! Now, just remember what I taught you.” _

_ Haruki slowly looped the rope around her neck. “L-Loop the rope...Then loop it around and around...” _

_ “And around and around!” Keiko only kept smiling. “Just tie it really tight so it doesn’t come undone when I hang myself.” _

_ Haruki only stifled a sob. “H-How could you talk like that?!” He fumbled with the rope for a few moments. “Nngh...” _

_ Keiko looked back a bit. “I told you, it’ll be fine. You’ll be okay, and so will everyone else, no matter what. All you need to do is just tie the knot, and we’ll all be fine.” _

_ Haruki stared at the rope connected to the ceiling. Then, at the almost finished knot in his hands. He fought back hard to keep the tears from going down his cheeks. That would be too suspicious in the trial, and then he’ll be accused for murder, and then nobody will get out. _

_ Finally, he put on a brave face. “Okay. I’ll do it...for you, Keiko! I’ll get out!” _

_ Keiko grinned. “That’s the spirit, Haruki! Are you done?” _

_ “Yea...Just one last tug!” Haruki pulled the end of the rope. _

_ A sudden snap echoed throughout the room, sickening to the bone. Haruki could almost feel the vibrations in the air. Keiko made a sort of strangled noise before she suddenly went limp. _

_ Haruki slowly let go of the rope. Her body swung off of the bed, and drifted back and forth. Her hands were lifeless by her sides, and drool dripped out of the corners of her mouth. _

_ “...Keiko? Did you hang yourself? D-Does that...count as suicide?! Keiko! You shouldn't have died that fast! Why did you die that fast?! KEIKOOO!” _

Shido stared gobsmacked at Haruki. The small boy was letting the tears fall down his face freely, now. He had dropped the paintbrush he usually clutched in his hands to bury his face into his palms, bawling his eyes out.

Hiroko was very quiet when she said, “You delusioned yourself with the fact that Keiko said it would be suicide. You tried to convince yourself you didn’t murder her.”

“I’m sorry!” Haruki cried. “I’m so sorry! All she wanted to do was help us! G-Get somebody out so they could contact the police! The academy! Anybody! A-And I messed it all up!”

Kohaku finally spoke. “Keiko wanted somebody to get help for us all. So that’s why she told you to help her commit suicide. You were her recipient...”

Haruki stifled another sob. “We...We just wanted to help...everyone. Everyone...needed to be saved. One life...isn’t much against fourteen...r-right?” Haruki gasped on his own breath. “I tried to do the right thing, right?! We tried, didn’t we?!”

“Such hope to help others...that was the cause of such a meaningless death!” Monokuma laughed. “You all see now, correct? Latching onto pitiful excuses, the outcome is all the same! Murder is still murder! And murder is an offense society must punish!”

Tamotsu paled. “Punish? Punish...ment.”

“Exe...cu...tion?” Haruki said quietly, face going even more pale. “You’re...going...to...”

“Well, like I just said! Your crimes cannot go without a sentence! And so, I’ve prepared a very special punishment for Haruki Ryobe, the Ultimate Painter!”

“No...NO! I DON’T WANNA DIE!” Haruki sobbed. “I NEVER MEANT IT! I NEVER WANTED TO KILL HER!”

“Let’s give it everything we’ve got! Iiiiiiit’s punishment tiiiiime!”

“NO, PLEAAAAAAASE! SOMEBODY HELP MEEEEEE!”

**HARUKI HAS BEEN FOUND GUILTY.**

**TIME FOR THE PUNISHMENT!**

_ A large white mural was erected in the middle of nowhere. Chains from the corners snaked to the center, where Haruki was strapped in place by the wrists and ankles. A single light shine down on him, and he began to tremble, already crying in fear. _

_ In front of him, a large paint brush held by a metal hand popped up. Monokuma jumped into the driver’s seat of the hand, and the counselors plopped right into the four side seats. All of them were strapped in as Monokuma pulled up a set of controls for the hand. _

_ On cue, a neat little paint bucket the perfect size for the brush popped up. However, upon closer inspection, it bubbled with a bright green tint to it. It was corrosive acid. _

** _HARUKI RYOBE’S EXECUTION_ **

** _THE EXTREME PAINTING SESSION_ **

_ Monokuma began to pull the bright levers in front of him. The paintbrush controlled by the metal hand gently dipped into the acid paint bucket, careful and precise. It then was slowly pulled out, the acid clinging onto the bristles like what paint would. _

_ Instead of painting calm strokes, the hand started rapidly splattering the brush across the canvas Haruki was chained to. Acid landed everywhere, burning both the board and the young boy chained to it. Green splashes went everywhere in a cacophony of boiling death. _

_ Haruki was evidently in pain. The acid was getting everywhere, burning away skin and clothes. Blood and sweat dropped down his small body, and he let out piercing shrieks of pain and fear for his very life. _

_ Finally, the paintbrush slowed to a stop. The acid rain ceased, and both the counselors and Monokuma stared at their apparent masterpiece. The smell of burning flesh hit their noses, and they only serenely smiled at the half-dead Haruki, left hanging there as the painting was covered in green and pink. _

_ A mechanical whirring noise made Haruki look up through his bangs. A humongous paint bucket was positioned right over the canvas, and was slowly beginning to tip over. A huge torrent of acid was ready to spill down on the boy to end his suffering. _

_ He screamed. Screamed his throat raw once the downpour began, slowly but surely snuffing out his life. He didn’t die instantly, but was instead subjected to a slow, horrendous burning feeling throughout his whole body. Even the bones weren’t safe, the acid bubbling away at the pristine structure. _

_ Haruki wasn’t the only to die. The Princess suddenly stood up in her seat, and the other three counselors looked at her with confusion as she spread her arms. She looked on at Haruki with desperation, but determination, then proceeded to leap into the acid waterfall at him, disappearing right into the green liquid. _

_ Both Monokuma and the counselors watched with wide eyes once the paint bucket ran out of acid, and the waterfall stopped. The canvas was entirely bubbly green and pink, save for one outline where Haruki’s body was pressed to the board. The chains hung slack as the four leaned down, knowing where his body ended up. _

_ Haruki laid in a mangled mess down below the giant canvas board. Pink blood pooled around his burnt flesh, and acid burned into his dull eyes that no longer had the use to blink. _

And just like that...it was over. The trial was over. The execution was over. And Keiko and Haruki...their lives were over. They were no longer permitted to walk the earth like the rest of them did.

The counselors were focused on another matter. “S...Sonia?” The Athlete whimpered. “Did you...?”

“MISS SONIAAAAAAAAA!” The Mechanic shrieked, tears flowing out of his eyes. “BIG SIIIIS!”

Hope clenched his teeth. “Could she not...handle this anymore?!”

Monokuma only laughed. “Puhuhuhuhu! Oh, the Princess certainly livened that execution up! I had no idea how it could get better, but it certainly did!”

“You...You killed her!” The Athlete screamed. “You killed...!”

Monokuma only waved a paw. “Oh, I didn’t kill her! She killed herself! Seriously, learn to use correct terms!”

Yuji had both of his hands over his mouth. “I-I’m gonna be sick...”

“Haruki...” Yoshie whimpered. “You didn’t deserve to die so cruelly.”

Hiroko was quiet. She stared at Monokuma, as if waiting to see his next course of action. Everyone else kept their focus on the screen overlooking the small clearing broadcasting Haruki’s death, but she kept her eyes away from it.

“Hiroko...?” Shido asked quietly.

“Call me ma’am, peacock.”

“S-Sorry, ma’am. It’s just...something is on your mind.”

Hiroko only looked back. “I don’t think Monokuma ever planned to let one of us go, free of charge, if a suicide truly did come to be.”

Monokuma looked offended. “Hey, how dare you! I’m as honest as any good bear down the block!”

Yukio looked worried. “Even if it was suicide...Haruki would still have been killed?”

“Well, it’s impossible to know now,” Hiroko remarked. “But I highly doubt that he would have been able to walk free if Keiko’s plan succeeded. If anything, he might have even gone on to a fate worse than death. Freedom from death, but not from the game...yes, that’s a fate befitting for a cruel mastermind like Monokuma.” She gave a smile that had no emotion behind it. “Speaking of, headmaster...”

“Oh?” Monokuma tilted his head. “Now what?”

“That organization you talked about...Insurrection’s Abyss. Since it involves us, I suppose you can disclose our current status with that.”

Monokuma only sighed. “Do I have to? I don’t want to press forward such worry into your poor group!”

Hope’s clear and unwavering voice answered Hiroko’s question. “They’re gaining on us.”

Shido looked wide-eyed at Hope. “H...Huh?”

“You wanted me to answer your question, right? There you go. Insurrection’s Abyss are beginning to track down Monolith Valley.”

“Eh, are they against Hope’s Peak Academy?” Yuuki asked innocently. “Y’know, since this is an extension of it...”

“They’re an enemy of this entire world!” Monokuma declared. “Insurrection’s Abyss will destroy everything you know! There’s nothing good about them when it comes to us!”

The Athlete suddenly snapped, “That’s enough. Let’s just go already. This trial is over, and I don’t wanna be here anymore.”

“...I...I’m sorry,” Shido muttered.

Hope only looked down. “Don’t be. Her death...and his...were not yours to control.”

Shido gulped. “H-Hope...”

The counselors said nothing more, but quickly jumped out of sight. Monokuma looked upset at them leaving so soon, but followed after. All that was left were the thirteen students standing in the clearing of the trial, the bus waiting to take them home.

The entire ride home was eerily quiet. Kohaku wasn’t even talking about her crazy stories this time. Instead, she had her head on the seat in front of her, her eyes dull with thought. As if she was pondering the mysteries of the world.

Shido was off the bus the moment it stopped. He refused to face anyone for what he had done to Haruki. It was all his fault that his body ended up like that, bleeding out on the floor and strewn out like a puppet without strings.

He found himself now sitting at the fence, staring through the bars. His head was resting in one palm, the other firmly placed on his knee. He really wasn’t staring at anything. He was just waiting for Nagito to arrive.

It felt like hours before he finally did, and Shido was startled out of his case by a soft thumping noise. He looked to his side to see a clear bag of candy, tied with gold ribbon that curled at the ends. Upon closer inspection, all of the candies were taffies of various flavors.

Shido picked it up, then looked back up. Nagito was sitting there, watching him back with a smile. He didn’t say anything, but just watched what Shido would do.

“Th...Thank you,” Shido said quietly.

“It doesn’t look like you want to talk right now, so I won’t bother you with words.” Nagito tilted his head. “Do you want to talk?”

“No, I...I don’t want to bother you.”

_ She sat at the computer. Her bare hand rested on the keyboard, and her armored one was cupping her cheek like a prized possession. Her eyes were glazing over, drifting away into another land. _

_ She finally became alert again when there was a noise. A ding, and the computer lit up in a soft red glow. Her eyes scanned over the contents of the message. _

_ “Three down, huh?” She murmured softly. “Thirteen more left. Luckily, none of the deceased were important per say. But the third one...that was a bit too close. We’re starting to enter dangerous territory the longer we wait. And Sonia...She tried to save him, but...” _

_ With a click, the tab was abruptly closed. The woman scratched her bare arm, the only visible amount of skin besides her face. The blue light enveloped the room, then was gone. _

_ She stood up from the now shut off computer. “Yes, that’s a plan. But one we cannot enact at the moment. All we can do is put in some faith on hope.” _

_ The room was small, not good enough for her large mind. But at the same time, she sees it as a symbol. A gilded cage for one like her. Controlled, but not watched. That was the fatal flaw of this room. Ignorance of what goes on within it. _

_ The Killing Game Season will end. All four of them will see to it. _

_ She paused in the doorway. “Hope...How fitting for him. He did used to be called that, right? From one of his many names.” She turned off the lights in the room, and the blue light only returned. _

**Chapter 2: Soaring Over Bloodied Waters**

**REMAINING STUDENTS:**

Shido Norihisa

Kohaku Hikozaemon

Yuuki Shunsho

Yukio Izo

Yuji Izo

Asuka Akira

Daiki Sorai

Yoshie Kazushi

Hiroko Nariakira

Akihiko Kenjiro

Akio Bussho

Kyou Shun

Tamotsu Sugita

**13 STUDENTS REMAINING**

** _ITEM GET: Portable Art Bag!_ **

** _A small, strap-on art bag that confirms the completion of Chapter 2. One of the paint vials is half empty._ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> With Chapter 2 complete, it's time for the update on the progress on Death Gambit! So far, Chapter 5 has been officially completed, which leaves only Chapters 0, 6, and the standalone epilogue to come afterwards. It's been a wild ride developing this season, and I hope you all believe that, too!
> 
> Also, submissions for Chapter 3's Free Time Events are now open on Discord! There are five spots open, and it'll be in more detail on who is available for these Free Time Events on the Discord channel.


	30. Chapter 3-1: 4 Is an Unlucky Number

_ “What are you...talking about?” Shido whispered. His eyes were blown wide in horror at what he had just heard. “Is this...true?” _

_ “True as can be. I’m not lyin’ about a thing.” A coin rotated in the left hand of the void, slipping through the fingers in a fluid, but bored motion. _

_ “Then that means-” Shido began to speak, standing up from where he was sitting. _

_ “Yea, it means what ya think it means. No doubts are necessary.” _

_ Shido laced a gloved hand through his hair. “But that would mean...everything is...!” _

_ “Yer wasting valuable time we have. I told ya, I’m not talkin’ fer long. But remember this: the mastermind is definitely one of you.” The void flipped the coin, and it glinted in the white light swathing both of the entities inside it. “And they’re targetin’...specific people, to say.” _

_ “You mean Akihiko and...” Shido gulped. “What can I even do, though?” _

_ “Woah, buddy. I can’t tell you, because we don’t know fer sure yet who’s who. Fer all we know, yer the mastermind playin’ dumb.” _

_ “Does...this mean that...” _

_ “Trust is a loaded gun here. Trust nobody unless yer absolutely certain on where their allegiance lies.” A wicked grin split through the darkness. “I know you won’t remember a thing about this so-called dream, so I don’t know why I bothered tryin’ ta warn you. But our time’s up. See you on the flip side, brother.” _

Shido woke up with deep-seated horror in his gut, screaming. He couldn’t even remember what he was dreaming about as soon as his eyes opened. He just knew it was horrible.

He feels that he’s forgotten something extremely important.

**Chapter 3: 4 Is an Unlucky Number**

Shido wasn’t at breakfast today. Instead, Kohaku sat alone at the end of one of the tables, twiddling her thumbs. Only twelve people sat in the dining hall now. Four missing people were too many missing for comfort.

“Hey, guys...” Yuji began. “Where’s Shido?”

“Do you think he slept in?” Daiki asked.

“Nah,” Yukio countered. “Not with that loud-ass announcement that wakes us up every mornin’. I can never go back to sleep after it.”

Kyou shrugged. “Who knows? One like him might have an easier time falling asleep than you!”

“Untrue! Big brother sleeps like a rock!”

“H-Hey, Yuji? I’m not sure whether I can take that as a compliment.”

As everyone talked to themselves, Kohaku remained quiet and observing. It was easy to get them all to trust her, due to her relaxed but sturdy nature. Sure, she let her true personality slip at times, but it wasn’t anything different from Yuuki.

Speaking of, he was her number one target. A mysterious Ultimate with strange lapses in personality? He ranked very high in the chances to be the mastermind. Then again, he could just be a red herring, and she was overthinking it.

On the other side of the spectrum, the mastermind could be someone you least expect. She had originally expected it to be Keiko, with her talent and disarming behavior similar to her own. But now that she was dead, she was officially off of the list of culprits.

That led her to her second-best guess...Shido Norihisa. A meek personality could hide a dangerous spirit, or at least conceal what he truly knows. Getting close to him to try and pry a possible dark side out of him was hard, but Kohaku feels she may finally be in the right position to observe his true thoughts. Nothing could be hidden from the Ultimate Illusionist.

But at the same time, she couldn’t rule anybody else out. So now, she watched everyone with a faux disinterested expression, as if she was staring off into the distance. When in reality, she was observing every movement from the rest of the student body for any clue that would give the mastermind away. She’ll be happy to play the waiting game.

The door creaked open, and Kohaku turned her head slightly. To her surprise and glee, Shido stepped in, his bangs hanging over his face. He refused to look anybody in the eyes as he slipped into the kitchen, ignoring the conversations that went quiet.

“Hey, th-that was...!” Yukio was surprised.

“Shido!” Kyou called joyously. “Come eat breakfast with us!”

Tamotsu only frowned sadly. “He’s not going to.”

Kyou paused. “Huh? What...makes you say that?”

He only looked away. “Didn’t you see the way he shied away from eye contact? He only is there because of the food. He’s not going to want to come in contact with us at all for a while.”

Akio frowned. “But that...doesn’t make much sense. He was...relatively fine yesterday, was he not?”

“Well, I don’t think anyone observed him enough during the trial enough to be definite about that, right?” Tamotsu only shrugged.

Kohaku scowled. “Geesh, Tata. You really are a bleak dude.”

Tamotsu paused. “What? Tata...?”

Before anyone said anything else, Shido emerged again with his food. He didn’t stop walking, even though Kohaku clearly saw Yuuki raise a hand, ready to gesture him over to sit with him. Instead, he went as fast as he could outside, closing the door behind him.

“...See?” Tamotsu said. “The second trial has affected him deeply.”

No. It couldn’t possibly be the second trial. Sure, it was brutal, but Shido’s psychological standpoint was still marginally okay at that time. Something else was bothering him, something beyond the events of yesterday. In order to bring him back to the group, Kohaku had to find it.

Daiki crossed his arms. “Hey, um, Kyou? Don’t you think it’s time?”

It took Kyou a moment to catch on. “Hm? Oh!” He slammed his palms together. “It is time for another breakfast meeting!”

“But...Shido isn’t here.” Yuji frowned, looking at the entrance door.

“Forget it,” Asuka cruelly remarked. “He doesn’t want to be with us, so he can miss out. What’s the situation, Kyou?”

“You all know what happens after a class trial, correct? Another floor of the school opens up. However...the entrance to the third floor is still locked up.” Kyou frowned. “Headmaster Monokuma is rather slow on this one.”

“Heyyy!” Monokuma suddenly appeared. “I don’t take kindly to casual insults behind my back!”

Yuuki screamed. “GUAAAAH! He’s heeeere!”

Yoshie gulped. “H-Headmaster! We had no idea you were listening!”

Hiroko frowned. “But why exactly is the third floor still unlocked? We completed the class trial fair and square, correct?”

Monokuma sighed. “I didn’t know I would have to teach such bright students a lesson! Honestly, I thought you all would remember what else was locked!”

Kohaku’s eyebrows immediately raised once her mind connected the dots. “Are you talking about the campground on the side of the summer school?”

“Correct! Ah, I guess not all of you are as oblivious as you seem to be! You’re rather bright, Ms. Kohaku!”

Kohaku smiled happily, though on the inside, she was only hiding her lack of emotion. “Thank you a bunch, Headmaster!”

Akihiko looked weirded out. “D-Don’t take that as a compliment, Kohaku!”

Monokuma continued. “Your classmate Kohaku is correct! The campgrounds on the side of the summer school are now officially open to reward you for the latest class trial! However, that also means I need to implement some new rules to accompany for the newest addition!”

Yoshie nodded. “Of course. Such a new environment would need to have rules, would it not?”

“Rule number 1: There are cabins in the campground’s center. You can sleep in there as an alternative to your dorms, free of charge! However, their locking mechanisms operate like the dorms. You must use your Monobook to unlock and lock the doors for a form of privacy. If they are unlocked but never locked, the cabin doors would automatically lock after five minutes!” Monokuma chuckled. “See? I value your comfort above all else here at Monolith Valley Summer School!”

“Even above survival?” Akihiko asked in a sarcastic tone.

Monokuma went on. “Rule Number 2! There are multiple sections of the campgrounds, dedicated to numerous activities, fitting to some of your talents! This also means that multiple hazardous weapons are in these sections! However, I would like to clarify this with the fact that these sections are closed off right after the nighttime announcement, and only unlock after the morning announcement!”

“Doesn’t that not allow the chance for murder, however, as you restrict these weapons from all of us?” Asuka questioned.

“I said at nighttime!” Monokuma remarked. “However, I will permit these weapons to be taken from the activity sections, as long as they are kept in pristine condition! Breaking school property is obviously a violation of the rules! There’s no deadline to returning these weapons, so you can keep them around yourself as long as you wish!”

“That’s an idiot move,” Hiroko remarked. “If you take a weapon from the activity sections, wouldn’t it be obvious?”

Monokuma huffed. “Don’t criticize somebody’s plan for murder or self defense until it actually happens and the class trial takes place, Ms. Nariakira! You’ll just be sucking the joy out of it!”

“Where is the joy in the first place?” Tamotsu asked to mostly himself.

“Well, that’s all regarding the new rules implemented into the campgrounds. I’ve already taken the liberty of adding these rules into your student Monobooks, so don’t worry about those! So go have fun in the new area!” Monokuma laughed before dropping out of sight.

Kohaku pulled out her Monobook before anyone else. She flicked it on, and waited patiently for it to boot up until it finished. Then, she tapped onto the Rules section to view the new codes of school life.

**Rule #14:** The cabin dorms are allowed to be slept in, but the student sleeping in the cabin must use their Monobook to lock and unlock the door for privacy.

**Rule #15:** The weapons from the recreational sections in the campgrounds can be taken off section grounds for an indefinite time. If not used for a certain amount of time, they will be returned to the recreational sections by a counselor or Monokuma. These weapons are to not be damaged or destroyed under any conditions. Failure to comply with these can lead to punishment.

The conversations had died out, so Kohaku quickly put away her Monobook. Maybe she should go to Shido and tell him about this new stuff. However, it wasn’t like he was going to open his door for her, so she guessed she could just tell him when he felt like talking to everybody.

That led her back to just being quiet and thinking. Putting back on a face of dozing off, she watched everyone with ferocious intent under her mask. A twitch of a hand, a slight indent in a smile...anything to give a clue on who the mastermind is.

Kohaku forced herself to stop staring when Tamotsu glanced over with an odd expression.


	31. Chapter 3-2: 4 Is an Unlucky Number

Kohaku stood by the side of the summer school. She was leaning mostly on one leg, staring at the signs pointing down the tiny road going off into the woods. In cracking black paint, she could read the bolded words “CAMPGROUNDS” with a cute Monokuma head painted at the end.

How meagerly stupid. She forced herself to not roll her eyes and instead smile a bit, as if she found it funny. Keep up the image of an oblivious brat like Keiko was. You never know who is watching.

Nobody else was there, so she began to walk along the path. Since there was nothing to observe with keen detail, she instead let her mind wander, like the character she has been making herself portray.

The forest was surprisingly not that thick on the path she has taken. However, there wasn’t a single noise from any wildlife. The trees were perfectly still, and no birds flew overhead like they usually did when someone walks too close to their trees. No ecosystem was in this place. Kind of like a scary image on global warming if it just took out the native species.

What was Monolith Valley? Only trees and this superbly secluded building exist here. No animals seem to, not even beyond the fence if you stare long enough. Why was this, out of all the possible places, chosen to host a summer school for the prestigious Hope’s Peak Academy? It made no sense. A mystery with no clear answers.

It was all some sort of convoluted lie. Why else would no Hope’s Peak officials have investigated this place already, after this place supposedly going dark? They had friends and family in the outside world. They would be freaking out by now and clamoring to send help or at least a search team to figure out the truth on what’s going on out here. A mass conspiracy theory would be going rampant across not just the country, but the world.

But how could this be? How did this come to terms? She remembers enrolling into Hope’s Peak Academy. She remembers volunteering for the summer school program. At what exact point did it go wrong? In order to unravel this mystery of the Killing Game Season, she had to find that one tiny turning point, that one thread within the web.

Kohaku now stood under a wooden arch. The words “MONOLITH VALLEY CAMPGROUND” were carved for everybody to see, and a Monokuma head was right at the end, just like the sign pointing here. Beyond the arch was a clearing, cabins going around the edge and a campfire in the middle.

Kohaku had already made a list of suspected people that would already be at the campgrounds, and she was already dead-on with her guesses. Asuka was standing at the campfire, probably inspecting the qualitative parts of it. He was the only one in this area of the campgrounds.

“Whatcha lookin’ at?” Kohaku pulled back on her mask of an inquisitive annoyance.

Asuka looked a tad irritated as he looked up. “Kohaku. Your cheery tone puts me in an unhappy mood.”

She only made an exaggerated pout. “I just asked a question, geesh!”

Asuka rolled his eyes. “I just was investigating the quality of this campfire, in order to determine whether it can be a hazard or not. If a campfire is improperly set up, it could lead to things around it catching on fire, then starting a huge blaze that would take out this campground and potentially the school.”

“Wow! You know a bunch about campfires!”

“I...know common sense. It is nothing impressive. In fact, it should be considered strange if you don’t know these things.” Asuka returned to pushing around the logs to fireproof the surrounding area. What a champion. Shame that he has a statistically low chance of surviving, according to Kohaku’s observations so far.

Deciding to leave him, Kohaku progressed on further into the campground area. A path lined with wooden fences went deeper into the surrounding forest, where the light didn’t reach out through the leaves. This path definitely would take her to the recreational sections.

And indeed, it did. A large clearing had multiple targets lining up on one end. On the other were multiple boxes, each of them having different varieties of weapons laid out across from them.

Surprising Kohaku, somehow, Shido had gotten here before her, and was now standing on the other side of the clearing, away from the entrance. Akio, Tamotsu, and Daiki were here, likely taking account of the weapons.

“These are in extremely good conditions,” Tamotsu noted. “Monokuma must have taken good care of them while the campgrounds were closed off to us.”

Daiki frowned. “Axes, slingshots, bows...even guns? That’s asking for murder!”

“Not really,” Akio admitted. “I cannot find a silencer to the guns, so using one to kill somebody would attract such unwanted attention with the noise, wouldn’t you agree?”

“What if you kill somebody in their room with a gun?” Daiki countered.

Tamotsu grimaced. “Can we not talk like that, please? Don’t give any potential killer a perfect murder plan.”

Kohaku listen to their conversation, but did not join in. Instead, she just watched each of their subtle facial reactions, marking them least to most suspicious in her mind, then storing that for later information. Such a topic was noteworthy, after all.

Instead, she went to her number one pick for the mastermind in disguise. “Yo, Shi-Shi!”

When she approached, she noticed how raggedly he looked. Eye bags were adorning his face, and he didn’t even put on makeup that day. His clothes were ruffled, as if he had gone through a blizzard in them, and his hair was sticking up all over the place.

“Whoa, Shi-Shi. Gone through a freakin’ washing machine, have we?” She asked in a sickeningly innocent tone.

“Well, what’s the point of looking good when we all will die?”

Kohaku immediately paused. This was not something she expected. The mastermind would logically keep up a fragile persona to throw off suspicions. To suddenly become emotionless like this...what kind of criminal would do that, allowing their guilt and sins to show?

“I’m...sorry?” Kohaku realized she was staring too long.

Shido noticed. He had seen her blank stare, but his expression didn’t change. Did he not care, or did he know the truth or her?

“We all will die. There’s nobody coming for us. It isn’t that hard to understand.”

Now this was freaky. Shido didn’t even have his stuttering. All he did was stare at her with dull, unwelcoming eyes, barely even blinking at all.

Kohaku didn’t know what to do. She needed time to rethink her routes on finding the mastermind. Shido was a dead end. It would be too strange.

“Okay...Bye, Shi-Shi!” Kohaku pretended to brush it off carelessly, walking away.

Shido was a failed route. Now she had to seek out her next best guess for the mastermind. “Befriend” them, root out what they truly feel and expose it to save all of the innocents still alive at the end of the day.

There was one more part of the campground she had yet to explore. The road continued on deeper, then finally stopped at the last destination, the last area received for completing the class trial successfully.

Kohaku stepped out onto a sandy shore. The lake stretching beyond her was perfectly still, crystal blue and inviting anyone who dared to tread its mysterious waters. Rocks created small territories for sea animals, but as she expected, there were no tiny bits of life anywhere. There could be something in the lake, but it was impossible to tell for sure.

The brothers were already at the lake shore. Yukio was sitting down, staring out at the waters, while Yuji was skipping rocks. However, instead of skipping, they just plummeted straight to the bottom.

Yukio looked confused. “You are usin’ flat rocks, right?”

“Of course I am!” Yuji picked up another rock.

“That one is visibly jagged!” Yukio whined.

Kohaku walked up, deciding to test their reactions again. “Hey, you two!”

Yuji looked. “Oh! Hi, Kohaku!” He spread his arms out. “Look at this lake! So pretty!”

“Yea, but really creepy at the same time,” Yukio admitted. “There’s no fish or any kind of sea life, at that.”

Kohaku clasped her hands behind her back. “Yea, I noticed that, too. Really weird, isn’t it? No animals existing in Monolith Valley...”

“Did Hope’s Peak industrialize this place that badly?” Yuji wondered. “Because if so, you hafta admit, killing an entire ecosystem at once isn’t an easy task, so to say.”

Kohaku began to stare at Yuji intently. “Explain?” She asked sweetly.

Yukio looked a bit disturbed by her staring. “H-Hey, what’s with that look? Did my brother say something wrong?”

“I-I think I diiid!” Yuji yelled. “Did I?!”

“Yup! And since I come from an invasive parasite species, I gotta eat your head now to ease my agitation!” Kohaku played it off with a lie she made up on the spot.

Yuji bought into it completely. “Waaaaaaagh! Save me, big brother!”

Yukio was stifling a laugh. “She’s obviously jokin’, lil bro!” He then paused. “You...are, right?”

Kohaku suddenly glared coldly again. “No.”

Both brothers shrieked. Immediately, they took off running down the path back to the other parts of the campgrounds. They probably thought that some aliens would jump out of the trees to devour them both.

Kohaku didn’t laugh. That was a really stupid joke, and too cheesy. How did they possibly fall for it?

Oh, well. Time to find Yuuki.


	32. Chapter 3-3: 4 Is an Unlucky Number

Everybody was in the dining hall the next meeting. Surprisingly, even the suddenly antisocial Shido was there, still looking as unkempt as he did at the campgrounds.

Yuji brightened up once his eyes locked onto the target. “Shi-Shiiii! You came outta your room!”

Shido rubbed his arm. “Yea, I...did.”

Tamotsu said, “We were all very worried for you, so we’re all very happy to see that you’re okay.”

“What is okay?” Shido asked in a dull tone. “We might kill each other at any second, so what’s the point of acting okay?”

Kohaku could see that they were going to get hung up on Shido, and that was too insignificant for a conversation like this. Butting in, she declared, “Well, since Shi-Shi is being a moodypants, we should discuss what we found without him!”

Akihiko looked surprised. “K-Kohaku! That’s kind of rude...”

Kohaku wanted dearly to just try and get Akihiko to shut up. Shido was no longer going to cooperate, so what was the point of even paying attention to him?

Instead, she huffed. “Well sorry, but don't we gotta discuss what was found at the campgrounds?”

“She does have a point,” Hiroko pointed out. “Let’s not get hung over things we can’t control.”

“But...” Yuuki whimpered.

Asuka cut him off. “I’ll start. The campground is quite a walk away from the school. It’s split up into...I want to say three parts.”

“Yea,” Yukio agreed. “There’s the campground itself, the recreational sections, and then beyond that, the shore of a pretty large lake. When Yuji and I were there, we couldn’t see the other side of the lake over the horizon.”

Daiki suddenly lit up. “If we had a ship, a boat, or at least some swimming capabilities...”

“We can use that to escape Monolith Valley!” Kyou exclaimed. “The fence around the area doesn’t extend to the other side of the lake theoretically!”

“Definitely doesn’t,” Tamotsu confirmed. “Judging by the distance of the fence on the road, and the way it curves, the fence is in a circular formation around the summer school. There’s no way the fence is on the other side of that lake.”

“But at the same time, do we have any idea where that lake leads?” Yoshie asked. “It could very well just lead to a very treacherous waterfall.”

“Impossible,” Hiroko retorted. “Monolith Valley is calm and serene. Waterfalls of death and despair are an improbability here.”

“Which means if we just find a way to cross that lake, we’re home free, right?” Yuji asked. “We can live on the land until we make it around back to the main road, or at least to any sort of civilization!”

“All we need is a boat,” Akio hummed. “Did you or Yuji see any sign of that, Yukio?”

“I think...there’s some smooth sand, so there’s definitely room for a boat,” Yukio said. “But there wasn’t a dock, if I remember correctly.”

“Then...we can just...” Yoshie began.

Shido suddenly spoke up in a clear, but monotone voice. “Stop talking, or we’ll spill this entire thing to Monokuma. He’ll probably now bar off the lake anyways.”

Asuka narrowed his eyes. “Why do you think that?”

Shido only looked to the side. Kohaku followed his gaze and set her sights on the camera in the corner, watching the entire student body standing in the dining hall.

“He’s watching us,” Kohaku clarified. “Now Monobutt knows everything! Thanks, you boys!”

Kyou looked shocked. “Wh-I-I am so sorry!”

The lake wouldn’t have worked anyways. Monokuma wouldn’t put such a clear escape route out for the students to ruin his fun with the killing game. There was probably some sort of barricade or obstacle at the end. Plus, the mastermind would thwart the raft if they went along, not leaving anybody behind. However, holding some sort of hope would delight Monokuma, so she decided to let it be and let the others dream.

Tamotsu smiled. “The campground cabins held some rather interesting items to me. For one, I have found a personal possession.”

Without anyone saving anything, Tamotsu grabbed at something on his belt. There was the glint of steel as he drew a sword and held it high. It was a rapier, with a red handle and a real blade.

“Whoaaaaa!” Yuji cried. “That’s so coool!”

Yukio whistled. “What is that? A rapier?”

“The Anti-Rapier,” Tamotsu replied, slowly putting it back onto his belt. “A custom made sword only I use. Impressive, correct? I had found it in Cabin 2, just collecting dust.” He sneered. “What a careless way to discard of such a prized weapon.”

“That’s soo cooool!” Yuji tugged on his brother’s sleeve. “Isn’t it? Isn’t iiit?!”

Yukio snickered. “What, does the Ultimate Anti-Hero have a fan, now that he’s got a big-ass sword?”

Yuji immediately blushed. “H-Hey! Big brotheeer!”

“What? I’m just messin’ with ya!” Yukio laughed as Yuji angrily pulled on the locks of his hair. “Heeey, this style took a long time to grow, lil bro! Don’t ruin it!”

Tamotsu smiled softly. “You both love each other very dearly, don’t you?”

Yukio tried to gently push off Yuji, keeping his hands in front of him while leaning backwards. “Well, duh! Brothers always gotta stay true to each other to the end! And an endless bond of loyalty and love is really the best way to go about things, don’t you think?”

Tamotsu huffed a bit, actually seeming a bit hurt by those words. “Yes, I wouldn’t know...”

Kohaku saw it a mile away, and decided to make sure Tamotsu had a good reasoning to look so flustered. “Aww, what’s with that look, Tata?” She teased.

“Well...I have always wanted a younger sibling,” Tamotsu hummed. “One to adore and fond over, and protect with my very life.”

Yukio sighed. “Well, good luck when they start gettin’ bratty.”

This earned him another harsh yank on the locks from Yuji. “Heeey!”

“Owww! See what I meaaan?”

Tamotsu smiled. “But ignoring these obvious negative points...a sibling, a source of love and affection...I would love to have that.”

Kohaku’s brain struck a spark there. If Shido was occupied with someone else, she could remove him from possibly interfering with her plans to expose the mastermind. And while Tamotsu had a low chance of being the mastermind, he could potentially unveil her true thoughts to the rest of the class, so what better way than to non-fatally remove both of them from the picture for however long?

“Kay! Shido!” Kohaku pointed at Shido. “Be Tamotsu’s little brother! Problem solved!”

For at least a few moments, Shido was back to his flustered self. “Wh-What?! K-Kohaku!”

Tamotsu was as equally flustered. “Wh...Why would you suggest something like that?!”

Kohaku shrugged. “Well, it fits! You’ve been with Shido this whole way, might as well make it official!”

“What?! But that’s...!” Tamotsu paused, then looked at Shido, who was now staring at him as if ready to be insulted. “Really...a thing only the two parties can consent on.”

“So it can be a thing?” Yoshie asked. “I can assist with the blood brother ritual.”

“Whoa, what?!” Daiki exclaimed. “That’s a thing?!”

“It was popular in the orphanage I worked in to perform a blood ritual if the people who were to adopt you already had a child,” Yoshie admitted. “And it really is nothing harmful. Just a prick of the finger.”

“That’s...quite creepy,” Akio admitted.

Shido fiddled with his hair. “N-No, I think we’re both good. He’ll probably...want somebody else as a brother anyways.”

Immediately, Tamotsu was by Shido’s side. “Then let us rephrase this. Do YOU want to be my brother?”

“Well, a bit, but-” Shido confessed.

Tamotsu immediately took Shido’s hand. “Then it’s settled. Yoshie, fetch a needle if you can! We’ll have done this blood brother ritual by tonight!”

Yoshie looked all too happy at that. “I’ll gladly assist to conjoin your sibling love with the heavens!”

“Eh, is anyone else at least a little bit disturbed by all this spiritual and blood talk?!” Yuuki questioned.

Kohaku shrugged. “Just let it happen. Only the two parties can decide on it, after all.”

Shido was covering his face with his free hand. “T-Tamotsu...”

As the three boys went off to go prepare for this crazy blood brother ritual, Kohaku found herself nearly rolling her eyes, though she noticed Hiroko was doing it for her. That could possibly preoccupy both of them, though not for long. That just left her to attempt to befriend Yuuki and try and determine if he is the mastermind.

However, once she turned, Yuuki was already stepping outside of the dining hall, leaving to go do his own thing. She couldn’t chase after him without looking weird.

Somebody else decided to act odd for her. From behind, she felt somebody suddenly hold her hand. Immediately, she turned to see Hiroko herself there, the last other girl in this faculty besides the Athlete.

“Sorry,” Hiroko apologized, walking past and letting go. “My hand just brushed against yours.”

Kohaku was about to call bullcrap, tightening her fist, when she realized it now made a noise. A slip of paper crinkled up in her palm. She immediately opened it to look at the folded slip. Then, she glanced back up to see that Hiroko had now left the room as well, following after Yuuki.

Kohaku made sure nobody was looking at her with a quick glance around the room. Then, she pulled the paper closer to her face. Taking her nail, she gently opened the folded note in order to not tear it.

_ “Game room, make sure you aren’t followed.” _


	33. Chapter 3-4: 4 Is an Unlucky Number

Kohaku immediately went to the game room. She had no need to announce it, since nobody was watching her. Still, she checked over her shoulder to make sure nobody had the same idea.

As she entered, she immediately noticed the strangest thing. Hiroko was in the room, calmly sitting near the wall. The weird thing was that she wasn’t interested in video games at all.

“Hey, Hiro!” Kohaku cheerfully exclaimed while putting on a fake smile. “What’s the big deal? Need to play a co-op game?”

“Quit the act.” Kohaku went dead quiet immediately. “Act the way you normally do here. The game room’s cameras are fake.”

Shit. What did Kohaku do to reveal herself? Hiroko had somehow discovered that she had been faking it? But she took so much effort to make the mask she always wore. What could have possibly given it away?

Kohaku decided to drop the sickly sweet tone. “How do you know all of that?”

“My magic, plain and simple,” Hiroko calmly answered. “I saw your soul’s true intentions of finding the mastermind, and I also noted that the cameras did not give off an electronic aura. We can speak freely in here without Monokuma knowing what our conversation details.”

“Magic is a flimsy excuse,” Kohaku fired back while crossing her arms. “Prove to me you are not the mastermind.”

“Are you not the Ultimate Illusionist?” Hiroko gave a rhetorical question as an answer. “Surely you should know whether I lie or not.”

Hiroko was right. Her voice has such a confidence to it, it was extremely difficult to disbelieve her. But at the same time, magic? Magic doesn’t exist, it’s a fool’s concept, like ghosts, demons, and psychics. Regardless of her standing, Hiroko had now bumped herself up significantly in Kohaku’s list of suspects.

“Why do you want to talk to me?”

Hiroko cringed. “I thought it would be better to hear your real thoughts, but...the dead feeling in your voice disturbs me more than it should. Can you alternate back to your fake personality?”

“Okie-dokie!” Kohaku slipped back into her persona. “No more of that moody shiz!”

Hiroko sighed. “Much better. Now...I wish to talk, girl to girl.”

“Yea? Wassup?”

“I wish to form an alliance with you to find the mastermind.”

Kohaku began to glare at Hiroko quietly. The Ultimate Mage froze, looking nervous under her piercing stare. It was like Kohaku was a ticking time bomb, ready to burst and slam the nearest arcade machine onto Hiroko to make her stay out of her way.

“This is my objective,” Kohaku said in her normal voice, eyes like dead fish. “You stay out of it.”

“L-Let me explain!” Hiroko’s voice had risen an octave. “I have information you would definitely love to hear!”

“About Yuuki’s odd behavior and Shido’s sudden distance? I’ve already eliminated Shido being the mastermind, so I do not need any of your flimsy hand holding, witch.”

“Witch...As if you are of higher standing than me.”

“I am,” Kohaku replied, but not with any emotion. “You are mud on my shoe. I know more. I see more. I hear more than you will ever know. Give me one good reason to not unveil your suspicious behavior to the rest of our classmates and permanently remove you from being an obstacle to my achievement.”

Hiroko gave a sneer. “You’re not doing this for anyone else, are you? Why are you searching out the mastermind?”

Kohaku paused, leaned forward, then smiled. It wasn’t a friendly smile in any way. The corners of it were sharp enough to stab somebody in the back. Her eyes deceived any positive feelings and exaggerated malicious thoughts.

“Because this is a game,” Kohaku said in a calm manner as if she was scolding a child. “A game that I will win, no matter what the cost.”

Hiroko looked flabbergasted. “You were using him,” she realized. “You were using Shido like a puppet.”

Kohaku shrugged. “To be honest, he’s too wimpy for me to view him as a friend. More like a means to an end.”

“You’re the witch here, not me,” Hiroko seethed. “Using a boy that fears being used? You’re sick!”

“It’s his fault for being so bratty. Not mine.”

“He opened his heart to you!” Hiroko suddenly bit, though Kohaku did not flinch. “How would he feel if he knew you just saw him as a doll?”

“He would know that he’s my favorite plaything so far,” Kohaku answered. “Besides, I’ve gotten plenty of good information from him. He wasn’t all that useless.” Her eyes went dead cold, and a shadow cast over them as if to denounce her as a demon of ice. “Besides, did you ever care for him, anyways?”

“I-I saw him as annoying, but...I never thought to use him as something less than a human being!”

“He is less than a human being,” Kohaku merely stated. “Feminine things on a boy? Do you not hate that? Doesn’t that remind you of that man who wronged you in both body and soul?”

Hiroko’s face went ghastly pale. “How..do you know...?!”

“I am the Ultimate Illusionist. I know the effects on a human brain for different things. I know trauma. I know hate made by trauma. Just as I can hide nothing from you, you can hide nothing from me.”

“You are scum,” Hiroko growled, but it came more of a whimper as tears formed at the corners of her eyes. “You use and abuse human lives!”

“What can I say?” Kohaku grinned. “I am the rival disguised as the female helper in this story. It’s my duty to fulfill the role given to me. You are the obvious rival that will eventually be overshadowed by me. You’ll be lucky if you make it past the fourth trial.”

Hiroko looked ready to faint. “What are you saying...?”

“The boat will not work. Any escape will not work. The killings will continue. And all we can do is accept that.”

“Why?!” Hiroko suddenly burst out. “This can’t just be a game to you!”

“It’s a game that I will win to return home to my love,” Kohaku suddenly said with such force that Hiroko cowered. “I have dedicated my whole life to her. Every inch of my being has been in service to her. Does she take it for granted? Probably.” Kohaku suddenly giggled. “But I love her so, Hiroko! Every inch of my body has been used as a stepping stone for her happiness! And I will have it no other way.”

Hiroko was quiet. She was staring at Kohaku with absolute fear of what she could possibly do. And she had such a sick smile plastered on her face, one only a psychopath would have.

“What are you?” Hiroko whimpered.

“Kohaku Hikozaemon, the Ultimate Illusionist.” Kohaku’s smile swapped for a bubbly one. “Duh-doy! You’ve known that since day one!”

_ Ding dong, ding dong… _

_ “Ahem...This is a school announcement! It is now 10 PM, which means the rule of nighttime is in full affect. The dining hall will close in short time, and entering it is forbidden. Well, then! Goodnight! Have beary good dreams...” _

Kohaku tilted her head. “Aww! Nighttime already?” She smiled again. “Welp! It’s bedtime for us! Now, what we’re going to do is go to sleep and really never bring up this weird shiz, ya know? It will just be an awkward memory in the future!”

Hiroko quickly nodded. “Y...Yes, we...will.”

“Good! Goodnight, Hiro!” Kohaku began to skip out, humming a random tune she made up on the spot.

“Good...night, you witch.”

** _Weil Theater_ **

_ “Shido...won’t be visiting me anymore? That’s a bit upsetting. I liked him coming around. I’m not saying that I don’t like you, Kohaku! You’ve made an impression of being a very sweet person. But I feel...much closer to Shido. He’s been visiting me for much longer than you have, and we’ve disclosed much more things with each other. I just hope he feels better soon, and I know you hope that too! Let’s give him our best wishes together!” _


	34. Chapter 3-5: 4 Is an Unlucky Number

_ Ding dong, ding dong... _

_ “Attention, everybody! It is now eight AM, which means it’s time to get up and embrace the morning! I hope you all have a spectacular day here in Monolith Valley Summer School! Oh, and by the by...Please rendezvous in the main hall at your closest convenience! We must have a super important talk, headmaster to students!” _

Monokuma wanted to meet up? That logically meant one of two things. Either he was to introduce another motive, or this was an update on the matter of Insurrection’s Abyss.

No matter what it was, there was a chance that some of her classmates wouldn’t attend. They were already cross as it was, with three of their classmates having died at this point. But it didn’t really matter to her in the long run. She would still go, to see what the latest news was and recalibrate her plans to go with it.

Kohaku was the first one to the main hall. She takes minimal time to get ready, only pulling on her clothes and letting her hair stick up in the little antenna hair they do at the front. She doesn’t slather herself in makeup like that weirdo Shido does.

In the main hall, she was almost set off by there being only three counselors. Then, she remembered. The Yakuza having killed Takehiko, and the Princess committing suicide during Haruki’s execution...no doubt the three didn’t want to talk about it, much less talk to her at the moment.

So then she looked around for Monokuma. Surprisingly, instead of waiting for the rest of the students to arrive to suddenly pop up, he was sitting there, waiting just like the counselors were. It was an oddity in his routine.

“You’re already here?” Kohaku asked, putting her hands on her hips and leaning forward to sell her image.

“Why, of course!” Monokuma gave off a flowery expression. “A headmaster should always set an example for his students and co-workers!”

“Yea, but you haven’t done this before, man!” Kohaku groaned. “It’s not your norm!”

“Well, some people like to change their routines for some style!” Monokuma argued. “I certainly would like to!”

Kohaku gave in, not pressing any further and shrugging. “Okay. It’s your call. I was just curious and shiz.”

As she finished speaking, one by one, the other students filed in, having gotten ready for the morning. Instead of spreading out, they seemed to subconsciously bunch together, as if ready to protect each other if anything went awry.

“Hey, Hiro!” Kohaku giggled. “You look like a marshmallow, with that lack of color in your face!”

Tamotsu looked. “She’s right...You are quite pale, even by what you are normally. Is everything well?”

Hiroko actually shuddered a bit, biting her fingernail. “Yes...I am fine. I am just...nervous on what we have been called together for.”

“That’s true,” Daiki admitted. “It’s worrying me myself.”

“Eh, is it about Insurrection’s Abyss?” Yuuki asked.

“Good guess, but no!” Monokuma clarified. “That terrorist group isn’t our current topic of discussion!”

“Then I have a funny feelin’ what this is about!” Yukio groaned. “This is another one of those damn motives!”

Monokuma laughed. “Puhuhuhuhuhu! You’re such a good guesser, Yukio!”

Looks like Kohaku’s primary guess was correct. It had been too quiet for too long. Insurrection’s Abyss likely wasn’t going to have been brought up in such a scene that brought everyone around, anyways. Monokuma was very hushed about it.

Akihiko grimaced. “Another one of these damn motives?! When will it end?!”

Monokuma shrugged. “Who knows? Probably when our beloved cast dwindles down! Seven, six, five, four, three, two...one! The ultimate victor in the ultimate killing game!”

Akio winced. “You may try, but...”

Monokuma looked confused at Akio. “Hm? Continue?”

“You may try, but our bonds are deeper than before than when we entered!” Akio suddenly declared. “We won’t kill each other, no matter the motive!”

“Y-Yea!” Yuji backed him up. “You’re loco if you think this will change anything! We’re just going to sit back and wait for rescue to come!”

Kohaku fought the urge to shout down Yuji. Words of hope are not going to help. Monokuma knows what to do to twist everybody against each other. This was going to be the same outcome as Keiko’s murder and Takehiko’s. Somebody will die because of this motive, and they all know it.

Monokuma sighed. “Are you sure? Because I spent such a huge amount of time on this motive...I don’t wish for it to go to waste, you know?”

Before any of the students said something, a sudden snappish voice came up. “Get on with it, Monokuma.” It was the Mechanic, whose voice had dropped into an uncharacteristic snarl.

“Alright, alright! Geesh! Your generation is so demanding these days!” Monokuma gave a huff. “Your lovely counselors shall hand out the temporary files!”

None of the counselors said anything. Instead, they quietly walked forward to the group. In their hands were silver pads, which they passed out to the students one by one.

Yoshie observed the tablet. “Erm...What exactly is this?”

“Your motive, of course! It’s really just a simple video, nothing too special about it.”

Kohaku nearly rolled her eyes as Kyou shouted, “If you believe it will make us murder each other, I believe very well that it is something more than special!”

Monokuma tilted his head. “Well, you guys have to be the judge of that!” He paused, and nobody did anything. “Well? Watch them already!”

Nobody seemed to technically want to, but the curiosity was becoming overpowering. Soon, people were pressing the power button on the tablet. Kohaku sighed before doing the same.

Immediately, it turned on to a familiar room. It was the living room Kohaku had memorized so well. Her darling’s. Her everything’s. And sitting right on the couch, looking at the camera and smiling while having bedhead and wearing an oversized shirt...it was her.

_ “Hello, there. It’s me. We’re supposed to record this video and hope that it gets through to you. Sorry about the way I look. I just woke up when I was told to do this. Okay...here goes.” _ She cleared her throat.  _ “We all miss you and everybody else. We know you’re probably terrified, but at the same time, you aren’t one to show it. You just hide everything under a bubbly personality. And I wouldn’t trade that for anything in the world. Because that is you. I just want to tell you that...” _

The video ended. Instead of the last part of the speech, bright golden words flashed on the screen.

**“Wonder what the last part of the video is? Murder to find out!”**

Kohaku stayed quiet for about three seconds. Then, she lifted the pad over her head and brought it down onto the floor in a crash. It immediately shattered, skidding across the ground.

Monokuma was instantly enraged. “Hey! That’s damaging school property!”

“Where is she?!” Kohaku screamed in anger at the bear. “What did you do to her?!”

Asuka was shaking. “That was...my...”

Daiki looked horrified. “I...don’t understand...”

Shido dropped his tablet on the floor as well. Holding his hair, he let out a bloodcurdling scream, absolute horror on his face. Everyone’s attention was now on him as he fell to his knees.

Tamotsu ran to his side immediately. “Shido!”

“MY FAULT!” Shido screamed. “MY FAULT! MYFAULTMYFAULTMYFAULT! WHY WAS IT MY FAULT?!”

“You sick, twisted cur!” Akio yelled at Monokuma. “What dastardly thing did you just force us to witness?!”

Monokuma smiled at the freshly-sowed despair. “Oh, puhuhuhu...why, those were videos of your most beloved in the world! Cheering you on, and about to tell you the most important thing...too bad the video had to be spliced to save the best part for the motive!”

Hope crossed his arms. “If you murder, the last part of the video will be given to you. Even if you are caught or not, it will be played in the trial room for you to have closure.”

“So you would at least know the second part before you...you know, die,” the Athlete remarked.

Yoshie clenched his fists, tears going down his face. “Why, you sick, twisted, absolute devilish-!”

Akio immediately grabbed Yoshie’s shoulders. “Y-Yoshie! Calm down! We cannot let them get under our skin! Those were fake! They have to be!”

Yoshie’s face was red from both the blush and the crying. “A...kio?”

“Impossible.” Everybody looked at Kohaku, and she didn’t stop talking. “Every detail in that video was down to the letter in accuracy. I recognized every last bit of the living room it was recorded in. At least mine wasn’t fake.”

“M-Mine...has to be...” Shido gave another sob. “It couldn’t have been...that!”

As Kohaku wondered what he meant, Yuji just looked on awkwardly. “Um...What does it mean if you just got static?”

Monokuma shrugged. “Well, it means your most precious beloved just wasn’t available at the time.”

Yukio blushed. “Y-Yuji! I got the same thing! That means...!”

“We’re each other’s most precious beloved?” Yuji sniffled, then immediately burst into waterworks. “Big brotheeeeer!”

Yukio did the exact same, hugging Yuji close. “Lil broooo!” Both sobbed as they held each other tightly.

Hiroko winced, as if she had been struck. “I got...static, too. My beloved is in this room?”

“Well, in your case, you just didn’t have a precious somebody,” Monokuma stated, plain and simple.

Hiroko froze, eyes going wide. “Had...nobody?”

Tamotsu looked worried. “Hiroko...” he reached out as if to comfort her.

She lunged back as if he was a disease. “Do not touch me!” She yelled. “I do not need your words of pity, scum!”

Tamotsu paused, then huffed. “What you say.” He then crouched back down, pulling his cape around Shido to hug him. “There, there...it will be alright.”

“My most precious beloved...my most...precious...” Shido pressed himself into Tamotsu’s chest, sobbing hard into it.

As Tamotsu continued to hug him, Monokuma laughed. “Do what you will with this information! We have the second parts of the videos all ready for the latest blackened to unveil!” He then dropped out of sight, and the counselors followed.

Nobody moved for a few moments, everybody holding their breath. However, a few students were audibly crying, the most poignant being the fragile Shido.

Tamotsu picked up the smaller boy with ease, surprising a few. “I will be taking him back to his room. Is that alright with everyone?”

Daiki nodded. “Yea...I think he needs some time alone.”

Yoshie held his arms, shaking. “You will...stay with him, correct?”

“Of course. I am his brother, after all.” Without another word, Tamotsu strolled out of the main room, taking the whimpering Shido with him.

As everyone began to leave, Kohaku stood there in a silent state. She was staring at the remains of the pad she had shattered on the floor, as if the video would suddenly play again.

A tap on her shoulder grabbed her attention. She looked to see Yuuki there, watching her in concern.

“Eh, are you okay, Kohaku?” He asked. “I understand that everyone was shaken up by their videos, but-”

“Let me guess,” Kohaku interrupted. “You had nobody as well.”

Yuuki chuckled. “Eh? How did you guess?” He lost his smile for a moment. “But...seriously. You might need a break as much as Shido needed it.”

Kohaku rubbed her head. “Yea...you’re right. Maybe I shall hang out with the others.”

Yuuki smiled. “That’s the spirit!”

Kohaku smiled, but it was still a lie. Already, she was planning through all of the theories on the video and how to still work to “befriend” the others. She still had to win, which means surviving against all the odds in the world.


	35. Chapter 3-6: 4 Is an Unlucky Number

Kohaku needed to weed out the mastermind before long. Time was beginning to tick. Therefore, she sought out possible candidates to monitor them, watch their reactions to her words.

A high-probability candidate was Hiroko. Kohaku found her alone by the lake shore, staring at the water. She seemed to be shivering, as if this weather was somehow cold to her.

Hiroko noticed Kohaku approach. “Oh...it’s you.” She sounded dismayed at Kohaku being there.

Kohaku smiled. “Wassup?” She called, ignoring her hostility. “I just thought that we should hang a bit! Y’know, relax after that scary motive announcement!”

Hiroko obviously didn’t trust Kohaku. Not after their conversation in the game room. However, she wasn’t willing to budge. She wanted to watch Hiroko, make sure nothing would leave her mouth. Kohaku was unwilling to let her true nature be spilled to their classmates.

After the long staredown, Hiroko yielded. Her shoulders drooped as she sighed. “Fine...you may stay around.”

“Hooray!” Kohaku cheered, making the other girl flinch.

They spent a while on the shore of the lake, looking out at the water. Occasionally, they skipped rocks. Miraculously, every throw of Hiroko’s bounced along perfectly. All she had to do was murmur some sort of fantastical incantation under her breath, then throw it, and she would be solid.

Kohaku had noticed Shido do something. He had given their classmates gifts, and they would give him a conversation about themselves in return. It could very well be a common practice that she never heard of. So, she decided to go to the Monomono Machine herself and try this method out.

One of the gifts she received was an antique doll, old and worn. It was actually made almost entirely of porcelain, except for the fabric clothing, of course. Due to the exquisite craftsmanship of the doll, many people still collect and prize them to this very day. Perhaps Hiroko would like it.

Kohaku held out the doll like a toy. “Hey, Hiro!”

Hiroko turned her head, then looked surprised. “Is...is that a doll?”

As she took it, Kohaku grinned. “Yup! And an old-fashioned one, too!”

“...It’s lovely.” Hiroko gave a warm smile to Kohaku. “Thank you.”

Hiroko seemed to like it a lot, and Shido’s practice looked to be beneficial for Kohaku’s work. She’ll remember to make this a habit of herself.

As Hiroko held the rather large doll, she kept her gaze off of Kohaku. She actually looked a bit shy, the way she was. However, Kohaku knew it was mostly out of fear for what she really was.

“Hey, come on!” Kohaku teased. “I don’t bite much!”

Hiroko flinched back. “Why do you think we can just talk as friends after what you said?”

“Hey, you asked me to tell you the truth!” Kohaku shrugged her shoulders. “Who am I to deny you that?”

Hiroko sighed. “Yes, but...you told to me point-blank that you were not the person I thought you were.”

Kohaku tilted her head. “Honestly, nobody is.”

“...Huh?”

“People tend to picture others with only their positive aspects, once they are befriended. When these negative aspects are visible to others, the human brain sort of shuts it out in favor of seeing your friend in only the right. That’s really what the term of blind loyalty entails.”

“...Kohaku, what exactly is your talent?”

Kohaku smiled. “The Ultimate Illusionist! Duh-doy!”

“No, I mean...what does it exactly do? What are you good at?”

“What sort of silly question is that?” Kohaku teased. “I think you know!”

“...It is not just acting, or putting up an illusion of a happy person, or that would make you the Ultimate Actress, right?”

“Right-on! So...”

“...Your talent has to involve the human mind, then. It and the manipulations one can do with it. You are an entirely logical puppeteer. That is your talent, isn’t it? Not magical illusions, but...”

“Analytical manipulations of the mind!” Kohaku giggled. “Right on again! Yea, that’s really what I do as the Ultimate Illusionist!”

Hiroko continued to frown. “But...why? Why do you act like this? What gain do you get from it?”

Kohaku became quiet. She stared at Hiroko, as if judging her. Slowly, the Ultimate Mage began to get uncomfortable, shuffling back and forth.

“...There’s no reason!” Kohaku finally said. “Much like none of us know the reason why you’re the Ultimate Mage!”

Hiroko blinked in surprise. “Oh. I...guess you’re right there, Kohaku.”

“Of course I am! I’m a soul of a mage developed to read the human mind, don’t ya remember?”

“What? Really?”

“Nope! It’s totally a lie!”

“...Right.” Hiroko shook her head. “You both scare and confuse me, Kohaku.”

Even though they are far from friends, it seems that any visible hostility has been diffused. But what’s to say that Hiroko can still turn against her? Regardless, if feels like they’ve gotten a little bit closer from that.

Next was Kyou. He wasn’t so suspicious that it warranted a thorough investigation. However, his Ultimate talent alone could cause enough alarm for Kohaku to take action. She sought him out next as her second observation for the day.

He was in the campgrounds as well. He had already lit the fire, even though it was noon at this point. He seemed to be measuring the height of the fire and the amount of firewood placed within the rock pit as fuel.

Kohaku walked up to him. “Kyou! Whatcha doing?”

Kyou righted himself up, smiling. “Ah, Kohaku! I just began to light the campfire for the night. I was measuring how fast the fire burned through the wood, and how much it’ll need to last for the day!”

Kohaku groaned. “But that sounds so tedious, y’know?”

“Yes, yes, it is...but it will not be as tedious if a second pair of eyes observed the flames with me!”

Normally, Kohaku would run at the first opportunity. However, she reminded herself that if he was indeed the mastermind, this was probably a test to see her worth. She shrugged, grinning. “Sure. I’ll bite. I have nothing else to do.”

For a while, both of them monitored the campfire to give it enough wood to continue burning for a while. Really, Kohaku just watched the fire. Kyou made the real measurements.

As he did so, Kohaku decided to give him a gift. It was a container that she realized was a glasses case made entirely of steel. It supposedly won't break, even if it's stomped on by a giant robot. No matter what abuse it takes, the glasses inside will be kept safe.

So that’s why it felt perfect to hold it out to Kyou. “Here, Kyou!” She chimed. “It’s a glass case made of metal, and extremely sturdy!”

Kyou took it, smiling with glee. “Oh! It really is made of steel! Thank you, Kohaku! I shall use this whenever my glasses require removal!” He put it away, beaming.

He seemed to really like the glasses case. Kohaku nodded with slight approval st herself. Perhaps the gift will make him open up to her more, and potentially reveal any secrets.

“Say, Kohaku! Have you heard?”

Kohaku paused. “Huh?”

“I am organizing Shido’s next public ballet performance, which will be hosted without delay once we get out of here! Isn’t that swell?”

Kohaku paused a bit. “Huh...Shido publicly performs? He really doesn’t act the type.”

“Really? I don’t think I needed any convincing on his side! Regardless, I’m going to make this concert top-quality! I just need your opinion!”

Kohaku frowned. “Eh? MY opinion?”

“Well, it’s more that I’m gathering information from everybody. I wanted to know what your preference of seating arrangements is.”

“Go on,” Kohaku replied.

Kyou suddenly whipped out a notepad Kohaku had no idea he had been holding. “What is your ideal location to host a ballet, in your honest opinion?”

Kohaku was taken by surprise, at first, so she stepped back a but. When Kyou continued to smile at her without blinking, she forced herself to relax and keep up the appearance of an idiot.

If that's what Kyou wanted, she’ll give it to him. A ballet performance is best held...

**>>On an indoor stage**

In an outdoor viewing area

In the middle of a rainstorm

“Maybe an indoor stage?” Kohaku recommended. “I mean, that’s usually where ballet performances are held.”

Kyou nodded, writing down on the notepad. “Yes, that is obviously the best option! However...I have no idea how to rent one out while within here.”

“Maybe you should put your planning on hold, then?” Kohaku recommended.

“Yes...perhaps...” Kyou looked genuinely disappointed, but if was quickly replaced with determination. “Have no fear! I will plan everything non-financial related, then! This concert will attract the masses, I’m sure of it!”

Of course. Kyou was still determined for a party to be a success, even with a lot of required information to plan it properly missing. Regardless, it feels like he and Kohaku have gotten a bit closer today.

It was beginning to come close to night. Kohaku decided to seek out one more observation before she went to bed. Leaving the campground, she decided to enter the school.

Daiki wasn’t that big of a target, but he had just enough blandness for Kohaku to doubt his identity. He was in the dining hall, eating a serving of fish for dinner.

He noticed Kohaku walk up. “Oh, hey!” He swallowed the fish in his mouth, clearing his throat. “Did you come here to have dinner?”

“Sure did!” Kohaku giggled. “Mind if I sit here?”

“Oh, no. You’re perfectly fine sitting here!”

That dinner, Kohaku and Daiki sat together, chatting up idle conversation over food. It was absolutely boring to Kohaku, but Daiki seemed to like the conversation, so she continued to uphold it.

The gift Kohaku chose for Daiki was a cute little water flute in the shape of a bird. You pour water into the base and blow into the top, which can create a variety of sounds similar to a chirping bird. Daiki was the Ultimate Ship Captain, so anything related to water, he would most likely adore.

Indeed, when Kohaku gave it to him, he was flattered. “For me?” He gladly took it. “Why, thank you, Kohaku! It’s very cute!”

Daiki was visibly loving it, chuckling that it chirped whenever he blew into the tube. He looked to be willing to speak to Kohaku, which was good. It would lead to any chance of any possible mask giving out.

“Say, Kohaku?” Daiki asked. “How did you get your Ultimate talent?”

Kohaku tapped her chin. “Well...I was obviously chosen by Loki, the trickster god, to carry out his misdeeds in this mortal realm! And you?”

Daiki frowned a bit. “Well...it came from a bit of a bad thing.”

Kohaku’s interest was piqued, and she leaned forward. “What do you mean?”

“Well...I became a worker on a ship to care for my sick parents, who weren’t able to afford medicine. I had to lie about my age to get on, but I was able to pass as an older man. The ship captain was a grump and critical old man who gave me and the other recruits a hard time. However, a particularly harsh storm came, and he came down with a heart attack during the midst of it. While he was being cared for, we were left without a captain.”

“Then what did you do?” Kohaku asked.

“I grabbed the steering wheel when nobody else did,” Daiki answered. “I began to give out commands that I had picked up during the voyages. And surprisingly, they listened to me. They realized I knew what I was doing. And even more shockingly, I actually got everyone through it, and to shore. Everyone congratulated me, and I was even offered a position as captain. But...”

Kohaku scowled. “But?”

“I couldn’t live with myself lying. I said that I wasn’t even out of high school yet, and couldn’t accept this. And you know what? They didn’t care. At all. In fact, they all worked hard to ensure that Hope’s Peak Academy would accept me. And they promised to take care of my parents while I’m here.” Daiki sighed with a smile. “I owe those men a lot.”

“They seemed to have really liked you,” Kohaku remarked.

“You can say I was popular on the ship even before the storm,” Daiki admitted. “I was regarded as really friendly and approachable.”

“No wonder!” Kohaku laughed. “You really are approachable once one gets to know ya!”

It seems that Daiki is quite popular on the seas. Kohaku wondered if that ship’s crew is worried about him now. Regardless, she feels that they’ve gotten a bit closer now.


	36. Chapter 3-7: 4 Is an Unlucky Number

After forcing herself to act like Kohaku appears to others for those three meetings, Kohaku checked the time. It was only a few minutes until the nighttime announcement, in that she could visit Nagito. What could she find out that can help her escape the summer school from him? It was obvious he knew more than he let on. His flimsy excuse for being there could not pass by her.

“Kohaku!”

Kohaku looked behind her to see Yuuki running up. “Huh? Yuuki? What’s up?”

Yuuki suddenly grabbed her arm. “Come on! Let’s go play some games in the game room!”

“Wait, what-?” Kohaku was yanked along. “Waaaagh!”

When the two entered the game room, Kohaku was instantly alert to the fact that this was evidently not for a video game party. Daiki was spreading out a large piece of paper, Yoshie holding a pencil. Everyone else was standing aside and watching. The only people missing were Tamotsu and Shido.

Kohaku’s mind immediately connected the dots. Daiki was the Ultimate Ship Captain, and according to Hiroko, the cameras in this room didn’t function. If this was to be hidden from Monokuma, this definitely dealt with an escape attempt.

“Is this related to the boat escape we were talking about earlier?” Kohaku asked Yuuki.

Yuuki nodded. “Yup! Eh, it’s in the basic form right now, but...with big brains like ours, we’ll figure this out in no time!”

Kohaku’s interest was peaked. She doubted this plan would succeed, but she would be lying if she said watching it unfold would be boring. She stepped by Yuuki and walked over to the table.

Daiki was holding down the paper. “We’ll need a supply source of metal or wood to make a boat, or find a place where Monokuma keeps them.”

“It’s probably gonna be the former,” Yuji pointed out. “Yukio and I didn’t see anything like a boat storage at the lake.”

“If it’s wood, we’ll need something to not only cut down the trees, but transform them into slabs of wood,” Kyou continued. “Putting those slabs of wood together will make for a better and more widespread boat than just tying together logs. Those have a much higher chance of sinking with our combined weights.”

“There’s also the issue of food provisions.” Yukio said as Yoshie began to write down these problems. “There’s no ecosystem in the valley, so huntin’ isn’t goin’ to work. There might possibly be fish in the lake, but at the same time, I doubt it.”

“So we’ll need to get our food from the storage,” Akio said. “That’s a simple solution.”

“But getting the amount of food that will last a dozen people for a week or so will definitely alert the counselors or Monokuma!” Akihiko retorted. “It’s going to have to be slowly accumulated for a while.”

“Define ‘a while’,” Daiki said.

“Probably a few weeks,” Asuka said, “and that’s if we all take a little more every meal time: breakfast, lunch, and dinner. We might cut out some of that time if a few of us have ‘snacks’.”

“What about storing the food?” Hiroko asked. “Where will we hide it? Our dorms cannot suffice forever for that much food.”

“Maybe in the woods?” Yukio guessed. “Lil’ bro and I can make a food storage in the thicker parts of the forest, and people can go out and deposit there in dispersed times so Monokuma isn’t suspicious.”

“But if it does take a few weeks, a lot of that food will spoil,” Akihiko pointed out.

Kohaku leaned forward. “Then we only get preserved food, like energy bars and candy! It isn’t the healthiest shiz, but it will last us through the boat ride.”

“I guess that covers the food issue.” Yoshie crossed it off the list. “Anything else besides the boat construction and tools needed?”

“A huge one,” Akio stated. “How will we construct our craft without Monokuma seeing us? We cannot build it here in the game room.”

“Eh...we go to a different part of the lake shore?” Yuuki suggested.

“Well, there aren’t many, if any, cameras at the campgrounds,” Yuji stated. “And none whatsoever at the shore. Monokuma may not hypothetically see us building a boat at a different part of the shore.”

“But that means in order to avoid suspicion, we’re going to have to utilize those cabins,” Asuka pointed out.

“Like stationing people at the campgrounds?” Hiroko questioned.

“A good idea,” Yoshie remarked, noting it on the large piece of paper. “I suggest 4 to 5 people, 3 if we wish to play it safe.”

“That’s about half of our forces,” Kohaku stated. “We’re currently 13 at the moment, if any of y’all were about to ask.”

“And then finally, the act of constructin’ the boat itself,” Yukio remarked. “Our only available option is a wooden one. So we need to make a wooden boat that will fit and support 13 people and a week’s worth of food for said amount.”

“We’re gonna go through a lot of prototypes and testing,” Daiki stated. “We’ll need a lot of wood.”

“Let’s start at the very end of the forest first, right at the electrified fences,” Yuji suggested. “That way, we have less of a chance of being discovered.”

_ Ding dong, ding dong… _

_ “Ahem...This is a school announcement! It is now 10 PM, which means the rule of nighttime is in full affect. The dining hall will close in short time, and entering it is forbidden. Well, then! Goodnight! Have beary good dreams...” _

Hiroko looked up. “I believe our time for now is up.”

“Yea.” Daiki began rolling up the paper. “We should begin gathering food in the morning. All of us should do our part in this.”

Yuuki gave a thumbs up. “Eh, you got it, man!”

“Shall we have three or four of us assemble a meeting to continue this tomorrow night?” Kyou asked. “That way, if it continues into the night, we won’t be as suspicious.”

“That’s a good idea,” Akihiko said. “What do you think, Daiki?”

“Hm...I’ll be in the roller rink, keeping an eye on you guys. Three is fine. How about it starts at...9:30?”

Hiroko nodded. “I’ll be one of the three there.”

Kyou clenched his fists in determination. “My attendance will be on the dot!”

Yuuki shrugged. “Eh...I’ll be our third dude, I guess.”

Kohaku had already left before the conversation is finished. She wasn’t going to help in this plan. There was no possible way it was going to succeed. They will be caught by Monokuma eventually. She’ll just stay out of it and watch.

** _Weil Theater_ **

_ “Toys and other things like that are beautiful things to children. When you are that age, you have to worry about nothing and nobody. But nowadays, when you’re all grown up, there’s a lot of scary things! Global warming, polluting the ocean, human death tolls, sexual or physical slavery...the world is very scary once you are forced to grow up. But where I live, I am still allowed to be a child. I just wish other people could have had childhoods instead of being forced to grow up to face the world and its despair.” _


	37. Chapter 3-8: 4 Is an Unlucky Number

_ Ding dong, ding dong... _

_ “Attention, everybody! It is now eight AM, which means it’s time to get up and embrace the morning! I hope you all have a spectacular day here in Monolith Valley Summer School!” _

Another day in the summer school, but this time, it was different. This time around, her classmates were avidly planning an escape route behind Monokuma’s back. While she won’t claim she’s working alongside the others in it, she won’t deny that she is watching to see what happens.

In the meantime, she should continue to build her bonds with the others to continue her own goals of rooting out the mastermind. Getting ready for the day, she stepped outside to look for who isn’t busy at the moment.

Asuka had a low chance of survival, but there was always that hint of ambiguity that he could be the mastermind. Kohaku decided to watch over him today, and set out to look for him.

Asuka was in the first floor’s infirmary. He was investigating the medicinal cabinet, which was full of all kinds of poisons. Thankfully, there were also antidotes on the lower shelves.

Asuka looked over at Kohaku entering. “...Can I help you?”

“I just wanted to say hi! Why do you gotta sound so snippy?” Kohaku pouted.

“Do you need something?”

“I just wanted to hang out with you for a bit. Is that so wrong?”

Asuka’s demeanor changed, and looked a little surprised. “Oh. You want to...spend time with me? Okay. Sure. I can allow that.”

Kohaku smiled in glee in response. “Aw! You’re so kind!”

Kohaku and Asuka spent a little while together, giving each other idle conversation. Kohaku led most of the talk, Asuka being quiet unless she brought up a topic. It was aggravating to have to initiate every few exchanges of awkward sentences.

To break the ice, Kohaku decided to give him a drink. Apparently, it was a sort of kids wine. It was a refreshing drink that contained no alcohol. It tasted more like sour grape juice than actual wine, according to the reviews on it.

Kohaku held out the glass. “Thirsty?” She asked. “It’s apparently non-alcoholic wine, but it supposedly tastes like sour grape juice.”

Asuka took the drink gently, in order to not damage the glass. “I guess I can try it. Thank you, Kohaku.”

So he seemed to sort of like it? It was a bit hard to tell from his lack of reaction beyond the obliged thank you. Perhaps his interests lay elsewhere. Kohaku should probably try better next time.

Asuka suddenly looked a bit nervous. “Kohaku, can I...talk to you about something serious?”

Kohaku tuned in on it immediately. “Sure!” She replied. “You can tell me anything!”

“Well...it is about my family,” Asuka admitted. “Shido sort of brought up the subject the other day, but I’m afraid I haven’t been able to talk to him since. And I feel I really need to get this off of my shoulders.”

Kohaku nodded. “So you want me to listen to you, and I can tell Shido about it later?”

“Only if it suits you,” Asuka replied. “I understand that this is a subject you may not be interested in.”

“Aw, you can tell me!” She pressed on. “I’m a great listener!”

“...Well, if you don’t know, I got my Ultimate talent from being able to defuse a bomb with a lot of pressure on me,” Asuka explained. “But the pressure wasn’t just from the innocents it was about to kill. My...adoptive family was on the scene. If I didn’t defuse the bomb, they could have gotten injured, or worse, died. And thinking about that...made me think of my biological family.”

“What happened to them?” Kohaku ventured.

“...Well, I grew up in a wartorn area. What do you think happened to them?”

It seems that Asuka thinks of his biological family when it comes to bombs. Perhaps what happened was...

Riot suppression

**>>Bombing**

Army invasion

“Did your biological family die by a bombing?” Kohaku guessed.

“Yes. It was what I believe was the local army trying to rid the streets of the rebels. However, a lot of innocents were caught up in the bombing, including me and my parents. While I was merely buried in rubble and managed to crawl my way out, my parents were not as lucky. Without their aid, I was forced to wander the ruined area to try and find somebody to help me. It took about a few months to finally be able to move to a more localized area, where I proceeded to be adopted by my father and my siblings.”

“Do you miss your parents?”

Asuka frowned. “Not really,” he admitted. “It happened when I was very young, so I never got attached to them the same way I am with my adoptive family. However, it left me paranoid at best, and terrified at worst, about bombs. The explosions always remind me of what the world took from me at such a young age.”

“And yet you still pushed that aside to save the people in the hotel,” Kohaku remarked. “That’s very sweet of you!”

Asuka blushed a bit. “Not...really. I did it mostly for my father-” He suddenly put a hand on his mouth, as if he had said a terrible thing.

Kohaku frowned. “What’s wrong?”

“...I’m sorry. I can continue this another time, right? I don’t think I’m ready to divulge the more...personal facts about me.”

That was suspicious. Very so. Asuka may have just risen up a bit in her list of suspects. But regardless if he was the mastermind or not, she feels that they’ve gotten a little closer today.

While she did spend a while with Asuka, there were still a lot of hours left in the day. She could probably spend her free time with somebody else. Perhaps somebody she hasn’t had the chance to observe yet.

She decided that Akihiko would be a good choice. He doesn’t seem to be as developed in characteristics as everybody else. The plainest people tend to be the masterminds in disguise these days, so it would be good to make sure Akihiko wasn’t up to anything suspicious.

Akihiko was out in the recreational section of the campgrounds. He was whacking a wooden dummy with a training sword, making sure to be light on his feet. He looked very experienced with the blade, as the Ultimate Knight. It almost looked like a dance from how graceful he moved back and forth in a fencing motion.

He smiled as Kohaku walked up. “Hey, Kohaku!” He called. “Got your attention, did I?”

“Sure did!” She responded. “You work really well! No wonder you’re the Ultimate Knight!”

“Aw, you make me blush!” Akihiko stopped, twirling the blade and placing it back into the sheath it came in. “Do you want to try?”

Kohaku hummed a bit, tapping her chin. “Well...”

“Come on, it’ll be fun! It’s kind of like dancing! You hang out with Shido a lot, so you like dancing, right?”

Kohaku gave the illusion of giving in to his goading, though she had no intention of leaving. “Okay, sure! I’ll bite! Let’s do this sword dancing practice of yours!”

“Cool! Let me go grab a second blade for you, okay?”

The two spent the next hour or so practicing blade techniques. Akihiko tried to teach Kohaku a wide variety of styles in that time frame, but she wasn’t the fastest learner on the planet. However, Akihiko still had a lot of fun, and Kohaku was given ample observation time.

She decided to satiate his big eater tendencies with some candy. In fact, a whole box of them, all of the sweet rods shaped and colored like cigarettes. It's popular among kids who want to imitate adults, though she was just trying to get at his sweet tooth.

As she handed it over, he looked confused at first. “A cigarette box?”

“A candy cigarette box!” She corrected him. “They’re all fake and made up of sugar!”

Akihiko wasted no time in opening it and shoving one in his mouth. “Mmmm! Mint!” He grinned. “Tunks, Kuhahgu!”

So it seemed that he really enjoyed any sort of sweet food. That was good to keep in mind. She could win over somebody as innocent-seeming as him with candy. That sounded horrible out loud in her head and not what she was going for.

Akihiko continued chewing on a candy cigarette, not bothering to suck on it. “Hey, can I ask of you a favor, Kohaku?”

Kohaku was snapped out of her thoughts. “Hm? What is it?”

“Can you tell me if it’s wrong to feel inferior to your sibling?”

“You mean...older sibling, right?”

“Yea. Older sisters and one brother. They’re both better at me in a lot of things: academics, cooking, caretaking of the younger siblings...”

Kohaku raised her hands. “Hey, back the freak up! How many siblings do you have?!”

“Oh. Six. I’m the youngest in a pack of seven.”

“Geesh! Are all of them in college now or what?!”

“Not all of them. My brother stays at home and works for his rent in the basement, and two of my sisters live with me as well. They’re both looking for colleges to apply to, though, in the time that they’re not picking on me.”

Kohaku frowned. “Even when you’re the Ultimate Knight, you get picked on?”

“I became the Ultimate Knight BECAUSE I got picked on!” Akihiko revealed. “I wanted to get stronger, bigger and taller so I wouldn’t be such a target in my household. I started signing up for all of these classes so I would get stronger. That’s how I found my passion in swordplay.”

“And from there, you became the Ultimate Knight, right?” Kohaku guessed.

“Yup! Passed with flying colors in chivalry, horseback riding and whatnot! I’m a textbook knight, straight out of medieval European times!” Akihiko flexed his arm to prove it. “Of course, I’ve got a long way to go for a bulging body like Daiki’s.”

Kohaku tried to imagine what Akihiko would look like with Daiki’s body type. A cold chill went down her spine. That was not a pretty sight.

“You keep doing that, I guess?” Kohaku encouraged him as she prayed it would never come to that day.

It seems that the title of Ultimate Knight was won out of striving to become strong enough so he wasn’t picked on. Kohaku guessed that any pressure on somebody would cause them to take action. Regardless, it feels like they’ve gotten a bit closer together from that conversation.

“Oh! Right, before I forget! Kohaku, can I ask you of something?”

Kohaku paused, having been just about to walk away. “Yea?”

“Everyone’s meeting at the cabins pretty soon. I can explain more there, but are you going to be able to make it?”

Everyone was meeting up at the cabins and she didn’t know? Was this related to the boat plans they were thinking up?

“Yea, sure!” Kohaku chimed. “I can be there in no time!”

“Phew, good!” Akihiko smiled. “I had a feeling you weren’t told about it, since...”

“...Since?”

“Well, it’s not important. I’ll see you there!” Akihiko suddenly ran off.

That was strange...what’s going on at the cabins? And why wasn’t she told until now? Whatever it was, she definitely wasn’t planning to miss it.


	38. Chapter 3-9: 4 Is an Unlucky Number

The sun was beginning to set by the time Kohaku walked up to Akihiko in the center of the cabin section of the outside grounds. “Hey, Kenjiro, Part Time Hero! What’s up?”

“Well...I asked you to come over because it’s...well, it’s Hiroko.”

Kohaku paused. “Um...What about her?” She better not have snitched on her true intentions.

“She said something about...wanting to overcome her fear, and be able to cooperate with everybody. But the thing was...she specifically told me to not invite you. Kohaku, did something happen between you and Hiroko?”

This was such an easy thing to cover for, it was almost clownish. Kohaku pretended like a lightbulb went off in her head. “Oh! I am the only girl, correct?”

“Um...Yea.”

“So she wanted to invite all boys, even though she hates boys?”

Akihiko paused. “Are you saying her fear is...of men?”

“Don’t tell anyone, but...I think she was actually touched in a wrong kind of way by a man. A feminine one. I bet he claimed to be gay, but was lying.”

Akihiko shuddered. “You, uh...Got all of that from what I just said?”

“Nope! But seeing how she hates feminine boys, it makes complete sense!” Kohaku then frowned. “But why here? Why invite all of the boys here?”

Akihiko shrugged. “Who knows? But that is a solid reason why you weren’t initially invited. But I just wanted you to come along, anyways! I mean, Hiroko may not act like it, but for her to be able to fall back on a fellow girl is always helpful for testing new waters!”

Kohaku smiled. “Yea...it is. Though honestly? I dunno how I’m gonna be any help at all!” She laughed a bit.

Akihiko only smiled. “Just...be there if Hiroko needs it, okay? I trust you, Kohaku.”

“D’aww! Thank you, Kenjiro, Part Time Hero!” Thank you very much.

The first to arrive was of course, Hiroko. She looked around the cabin area nervously at first, then focused on Kohaku with flabbergasted shock. Kohaku smiled at her and waved, just giving her a completely innocent look.

Hiroko was on the opposite side of the spectrum. Marching over, she grabbed Kohaku by her shawl. “Why are you here?!”

“Hi, Hiro!” Kohaku cheered. “I just thought you’ll need a girl to help support you through your fear of men during this. After all, isn’t this all to cure the trauma of what that so-called gay man did to you in your younger years?”

Hiroko paused. “I...I never told you...”

“It was just a hunch! I mean, you leave such obvious hints!” Kohaku pushed off Hiroko firmly, never losing her smile. “Anyways, I’m really just here as a friend, to support you!”

“A...friend?” Hiroko questioned slowly.

Kohaku nodded. “Sure! I mean, whatever you think happened between us doesn’t really matter! For now, let’s just help you recover over your fear!”

Hiroko looked at Akihiko, then leaned in to whisper. “I thought you didn’t care.”

Kohaku leaned in as well, still smiling. “I don’t. I just want to keep up the act of a goody two-shoes.”

“Is that a lie, Kohaku? Because there are cases of emotionless sociopaths becoming the very mask they wear around others.”

Kohaku shrugged. “Who knows? That’s the true gambling of it all. It’s all in or no deal. I have my own goals, and I won’t let emotions or people get in my way. What I’m trying to do benefits us all, you know? Rooting out the mastermind? Why would you be so upset over that? We just have different goals that don’t clash with each other.”

Akihiko looked confused. “Hey, uh...what are you guys whispering about?”

Kohaku leaned back. “Aw, nothing, Kenjiro, Part Time Hero!”

“That’s...quite a long nickname, one that defeats the whole point of having one,” Hiroko remarked with absolute chill.

From there, more and more of the boys arrived. Once again, Tamotsu and Shido were nowhere present. Kohaku would say she would begin to worry, but she doesn’t care for them at all. She’ll much rather prefer to say alerted.

Daiki had his arms crossed, as usual. “Hey, Hiroko! We all arrived, as promised.”

“Now, what is the point of this meeting?” Asuka asked.

Hiroko went completely red in the face with shame. “Well...this is...what I need you all to do. I need you all...to undress.”

“Wh-WHAAAAAAT?!” Yuji screamed.

“N-Not completely! Just...to the trousers!”

“What the fuck kind of request is that?!” Yukio exclaimed. “That is completely on the rapey side!”

Hiroko went even more red, which Kohaku thought was impossible. “I-I just need to...conquer my fear of men! I-I have to do it!”

Yoshie looked concerned. “Hiroko, did...something happen to you?”

Hiroko went quiet, looking at Yoshie. At first glance, she could be a statue from how still she was.

“Hiroko, what’s going on?” Akio asked. “You haven’t used a prim and proper voice or stance for a bit, now...”

“I-I’m sorry if you liked THAT me...but that isn’t who I am.” Hiroko gulped, then smiled. “I am Hiroko Nariakira...The Ultimate Mage. I became the Ultimate Mage from my dabbling in the occult. And in my freshman year, I was molested by a fellow classmate who claimed to be homosexual.”

Hiroko managed to forced all of that out? Kohaku was actually impressed. From that all alone, in her mental list, Hiroko went down multiple places in the chances of being the mastermind. They wouldn’t admit so many things like that, instead saving if for a boastful speech in the climax like a cliché villain.

Yoshie had a hand over his mouth. “H...Hiroko...”

“That is why...I was so antagonistic to Shido at first. Whether he wanted to or not...it reminded me of that classmate. Of people who hide disgusting and depraved acts behind a smiling mask, using a part of people’s identities for their wicked schemes...!” Hiroko hiccuped. “When I heard...a large majority of the summer school was to be boys...I wanted to make myself so hated...that none of you would bother me!”

“Wow...Hiroko...” Yukio sound impressed. “That’s a lotta stuff to get off of your chest.”

“But I realized...what I was doing when...when my motive...my motive had nobody as my most precious loved one! I couldn’t continue on the way I was doing. I couldn’t be the rival of the story anymore. I had to be...a friend. I had to...g-get over my fear! Whatever it takes! So I can work with you all!”

“Hiroko, that’s...so brave of you.” Kyou smiled. “Of course we will help you. We want to be your ally, too!”

Daiki had softened his gaze. “But are you sure this is the best way to go about this? You may be overestimating how scarred you are. Trauma at the age of a minor really sticks with you.”

“Wh...What other way is there?” Hiroko questioned.

Akihiko gestured to the lake. “How about a dip in the lake? All of us, just having fun. As friends.”

Hiroko looked surprised, tears going down her face involuntarily. “H...Huh? We can...do that?”

“Yea, with no sweat!” Yuuki cheered. “Eh, I think there’s some swimsuits stored in the backs of the cabins, for all genders and sizes!”

Akihiko looked. “But it’s your call, Hiroko. We want to help you, we really do. But not without your consent.” He froze. “Ack! Worst word to say! Sorry!”

“...Th...Thank...you.” Hiroko smiled. “Thank you...all of you. And when Shido is ready to see us again...I...want to apologize to his face! For...all of the insults and snide remarks!”

There was laughter. Soft, and friendly. Everyone looked and was surprised to see that it was Asuka, the resident hardass, laughing.

He smiled a bit. “You seem to be quite a soft girl instead of the cold bitch you pretended to be.”

Instead of biting back, Hiroko blushed. “W-Well...honestly, it is very easy to pretend to be mean...”

Kohaku pulled Hiroko into a hug. “Hiroooo!” She cried. “That was so brave to saaay!”

Hiroko turned absolutely red. “Gh! I...didn’t give you permission to do this!”

“Lake time!” Yuji yelled. “Swimsuits, cannonballs, WATEEEEEER!”

Yukio was dragged along by his brother. “Waaaaagh! Give me a moment to get on my feet before ya yank me arouund!”

From there, everybody scattered. Hiroko and Kohaku were forced to go into the same cabin, the only girls. The rest of the boys split up into the other three cabins to dress out.

By the end of the next twenty minutes, everybody was finished dressing out. All of the boys wore swim trunks of varying colors and decal. While Kohaku wore a simple purple bikini set with frills, Hiroko was in a modest floral one-piece, face red as her tiny ponytails were down into a messy haircut.

“Wow, I’ve never seen you without your tiny pigtails,” Yukio remarked. “You look really cute in that, too!”

“Are you...hitting on me?”

“Um...No?”

Yuji chuckled. “He doesn’t have the skills to get a girlfriend.”

“Heeey!” Yukio began chasing Yuji down the path to the lake. “Get back here, you no-good midget!”

Everyone began running down the path to the lake, laughing. Hiroko was in last, simply walking while hugging her arms. Kohaku was one of the first, tying with Yukio at the moment.

Once they broke through the trees, they sprinted over the rocks on the shore, making numerous sets of footprints in the sand. They began splashing into the lake shore, laughing and whooping with glee.

“Cannonbaaall!” Yuji launched himself off of one of the higher rocks, slamming right into the waters.

Yoshie covered his face to protect himself from the splash. “Haha! Good attempt, but no dice, Yuji!”

Hiroko slowly waded into the water as everybody began splashing each other or swimming around. She shivered, but not from how cold or warm the water was. Instead of going out all the way, she crouched on the shore, where the water only went up to her ankles.

Asuka looked over his shoulder at her. “Hiroko? Are you well?”

“Yes? Erm...Admittedly, no?” Hiroko clasped her hands together and pulled her legs close. “I’m not afraid of the water. I do know how to swim, but...I don’t want to go out too far.”

“Is it related to your fear?” Asuka swam closer.

Hiroko backed away on instinct. “Um...I think so...Yea, definitely.”

“Perhaps you should begin to swim with one of the boys to help alleviate your concerns?” Asuka tilted his head while wading in place.

Hiroko cleared her throat, face turning red. “That’s...”

“I do not mind you clinging on to me, if you have to.” Asuka gave her another soft smile.

Kohaku laughed. “You really are being all lovey-dovey to her, Suka!”

Now it was Asuka’s turn to blush. “K-Kohaku, if you do not quiet this instant...!”

Before Asuka said something, Hiroko got all of the way into the water and reached out like a child. She managed to grab onto his arm and hold tightly. Both the holder and the held turned absolutely red at this action.

“H-Hiroko?!” Asuka stammered.

“S-Sorry! I was just a-acting on what you said!”

“Awww!” Akio chimed. “What an adorable interaction!”

“You shut up too, Akio!” Asuka yelled, making others laugh.

Yuuki waded along. “Eh, as long as Hiroko is okay with it, that’s all we should care about...”

Kyou, meanwhile, seemed distracted by something. Without his glasses, he was squinting a bit, and he was scrunching up the rest of his face, too. Instead of moving around like a lot of the others, he was floating in place.

“Oh? Kyou?” Yoshie noticed. “Is something the matter?”

“Hm? Oh, nothing...nothing a-at all...” Kyou’s face developed more of a red coloring.

Yuji snickered. “I think he’s looking at...” he pointed, and Yoshie looked in that direction. “That.”

Out much farther into the lake, Yukio and Daiki were swimming laps. While Yukio was falling behind by miles, Daiki was cruising along without an effort in the world. His muscles were rippling and shining in the setting sunlight, and his swim trunks hugged around his muscles tightly as he smiled back at Yukio.

Kyou seem to be actually drooling at the sight. “Ah...”

Yuji suddenly gave a barking laughter. “Oh, you got a muscle fetish?!”

Yoshie was aghast at the suggestion. “Why, Yuji! Why would you ever say such a thing?!”

“What? It’s obvious! Look at the way he watches Daiki move! He’s foaming at the mouth!”

Kyou was blushing heavily now. “E-Erm...”

Yoshie sighed. “Yes, while it is obvious he is admiring Daiki...you do not need to put it so bluntly.”

“I-I am not admiring Daiki! I was...internally congratulating him on such a healthy and...prime body!”

“Bro, that look in your eyes gives you all away.” Yuji gave a sly grin. “You want to like, hug and squeeze those muscles like a stress ball!”

Kyou looked embarrassed. “I-I don’t like people just based on their bodies, I also like the personalities!” He clapped a hand over his mouth, eyes going wide.

Yoshie chuckled softly. “It seems you may have just given yourself away, Kyou. After all, Daiki has the personality of a saint.”

And so it went, back and forth. While Asuka swam around with the tinier Hiroko in tow, Kyou kept splashing and outright refusing he was ever observing Daiki. Meanwhile, the latter actually had to drag his fellow swimmer Yukio out when exhaustion caught up to him and he nearly drowned. Yuji didn’t let it go for the rest of the outing.

As the sun set completely and it became nighttime, Kohaku rung out her hair on the shore. She was completely soaked and exhausted to the bone. A lot of people were bound to sleep good tonight.

Everybody else was climbing up from the lake, too. Akio was half-asleep, leaning on Yoshie’s shoulder. Hiroko was passed out as well, cradled gently by Asuka in his arms. And still, Shido and Tamotsu never arrived to the outing.

“How’s Hiroko?” Daiki was playing with his hair to flick out all of the water.

Asuka looked over. “Passed out. She may not partake in the...meeting tonight.”

Yuuki shrugged. “Eh, that’ll be fine. We can do it with just two people, anyways.”

Daiki smiled. “Then it’ll be Yuuki, you, and me, Kyou?”

Yuji immediately leapt on that. “Ooooooooh! The lovebirds will be all alone if Yuuki knows how to respect boundaries!”

“Huh?” Daiki tilted his head. “Lovebirds?”

Kyou blushed. “N-No, nothing like that! Yuji is just lying!”

Akio looked up. “By any chance, do any of you know what time it is at the moment?”

“Hm?” Yukio lifted his head. “I wanna say...8, goin’ on 9?”

“Are you saying we should begin to head back?” Yoshie asked Akio.

“Perhaps. We do no good sitting here, and we should probably begin to change back into our clothes.” Akio shivered. “It is getting cold, anyways.”

Kohaku stood up. “You got it, buddy! Come on, guys!”

Everybody began to get up and walk back. Asuka gently shook Hiroko awake, who stirred, but didn’t move to get out of Asuka’s arms, instead just curling back up. He didn’t do anything after that, just continuing to let her snooze.

At the cabin area, the campfire had now been lit. The Mechanic had just tossed in another log, watching it go up in flames. The Athlete was cracking open a huge bag of marshmallows, and Hope was setting up a table of chocolate and graham crackers.

“Whoa!” The three counselors looked to see the students arriving, Yuji gaping.

The Athlete waved a bit. “Hello, students. You’ve been out here all day, so we thought that one last treat for the day would be nice. I think a lot of you missed dinner, or had it pretty early.”

Akio rubbed his eyes, frowning. “Are you three okay? We haven’t seen you since...”

“To say we are in a...good mood would be a lie,” Hope admitted. “But as our job as Ultimate Counselors, we need to focus on all of you for the time being.”

“Still...you’re human beings, too,” Yoshie pointed out. “Have you had adequate time to mourn?”

The Mechanic grinned. “Thanks for the worry, but we’re fine for now. Honest! Now, who wants some goopy marshmallows?!” He held out a wide array of thin sticks.

Yuji immediately ran up, taking a stick. “Me, me!” He cried.

From there, all of the other students came forward, each taking a stick. Taking their seats by the campfire, they began to chat with the counselors, who were mostly quiet but listened very intently.

Kohaku sat mostly alone, holding her marshmallow over the fire. She watched the burn and crumple up, turning completely black on the outside. She withdrew from the flame and blew out the blazes lingering on the treat.

This was a very strange moment. She was feeling something strange in her gut. She tried to figure out what it was. It wasn’t her gut telling her something was wrong. And it couldn’t possibly be something bad she ate. It was coming from her core. She would say ‘feeling’, but she doesn’t feel. She’s never felt before.

She realized somebody was looking at her and glanced over. Hiroko was looking at her and smiling. It wasn’t genuine, but not malicious. It was a smug and winning smile, one that seemed to say ‘I knew it’. What did she possibly know about? Her place on the probability list went up a space or two.

_ Ding ding, ding dong... _

_ “Ahem...This is a school announcement! It is now 10 PM, which means the rule of nighttime is in full affect. The dining hall will close in short time, and entering it is forbidden. Well, then! Goodnight! Have beary good dreams...” _

Nighttime announcement. It was now officially 10 PM. Kohaku had no reason to stay around. Besides, a few people were now getting up, thanking the counselors for the treats.

Kohaku stood up as well. “Thanks a bunch!” She said to the counselors. “And goodnight!”

The Athlete smiled. “Good night to you too, you weird loony.”

Kohaku only laughed. “I’m only weird so nobody steals my style!” She began to skip off back to the summer school, going towards the fence where she will meet up with Nagito.

** _Weil Theater_ **

_ “Hey, do you by chance believe in a philosophy? To me, philosophies are teachings of life that can interpreted in numerous different ways by different people. But a lot of people interpret them too badly, and use these philosophies as an excuse to shun or hurt other people. I mean, you can practice anything you want, as long as it doesn’t harm others. And a lot of people think differently. Kohaku, why do you think people use philosophies to hate others who did them no wrong? It’s a stupid reasoning to use.” _

Nagito, despite his young age, was very philosophical. Kohaku found herself admiring how his mind worked to think about numerous different views beyond his own. She could definitely see him growing up to deal in history or philosophy.

Kohaku opened her door with her Monobook, then gently closed it behind her. The lights were still on, and nothing has changed since he had last been there at first glance.

However, her foot hit something black, and it slid a bit. She looked down to see a black folder crammed with papers and a sticky note attached. Crouching down, she observed it, not picking it up first.

_ “Kohaku, for you. Need to read this. -Tamotsu” _

Tamotsu? What did Tamotsu find? Kohaku picked up the folder, and cracked it open.

What she saw shocked her. Scientific reports of a high-tech calibur crossed over each other, illustrated with pictures of genes, molecules, and fetuses. Notes were stuck in and out like little tabs people reading books use to mark the correct page. The notes were in perfectly detailed handwriting, even using words outside of her knowledge.

What she did get shocked her.  _ “Hope’s Peak Academy has allowed the usage of the deceased S-506821 to create a prototype for the Blood Clone series. This usage of the DNA sample plans to achieve complete molecular structure and growth for a breakthrough in artificial science. Blood Clones can be used for organ donor and spies within enemy networks during wars and stages of terror. If initial experiment is a success, the Blood Clone will be implanted within the brand new summer school program to test human interaction.” _

Kohaku closed the folder, frowning. One of them was...an artificial human? Could they be the mastermind? Wait, no. Hope’s Peak wouldn’t cultivate a mastermind to kill some of their students...right? This had just been a harmless summer school program initially.

...Right?


	39. Chapter 3-10: 4 Is an Unlucky Number

_ Ding dong, ding dong... _

_ “Attention, everybody! It is now eight AM, which means it’s time to get up and embrace the morning! I hope you all have a spectacular day here in Monolith Valley Summer School!” _

Another day, huh? Kohaku’s body ached a bit from all of the swimming yesterday. She slept like a rock the entire night, putting the Blood Clone folder away in her drawers.

Speaking of, she remembered that so suddenly. One of them, whether now currently deceased or alive...is an artificial human. Somebody who talks and acts like a person, but was probably made in a test tube. Does that person even know that they’re not a real being? Are they just under the disbelief that they’re a real human?

Upon entering the dining hall, Kohaku looked around. Once again, everyone was present except Shido and Tamotsu. However...Two more people were missing, at a second glance.

“Where are Yukio and Yuji?” Kohaku found herself asking.

“Eh, Yuji overslept,” Yuuki said. “So Yukio went to go wake him up. I guess you didn't see Yukio when you passed through the hallway?”

Kohaku frowned. “No...Yukio wasn’t there at all. Are you sure that-?”

The door crashed open, and Yukio ran in. Everybody turned, immediately pausing in what they were doing. Akihiko dropped his fork at the sudden noise, face full of food much like a chipmunk’s.

“Yuji’s not in his room!” Yukio screamed.

Daiki looked shocked. “Wh-What?!”

“I-I went to go check on him and wake him up, s-since I thought he overslept, but...but his door was unlocked, so I went inside, and nobody was there! Nobody was in the bed, the bed was still fuckin’ made!” Yukio made a gasping noise, tears pouring down his face. “Where the fuck is my brother?! Where the fuck is my lil’ bro?!”

Yoshie ran up to Yukio, grabbing his arms gently. “Y-Yukio, please calm yourself! He’s here somewhere in the summer school!”

Akio looked around. “We have to go find him. Somebody go grab Shido and Tamotsu and get them to help look!”

“We should split up,” Hiroko volunteered. “Asuka and Akio, follow me to the second floor. Akihiko, Yuuki, and Daiki, you guys stay here on the first and alert the other two. Kohaku, take Yoshie and Yukio and go to the campgrounds. Knowing Yuji, that’s where he’ll most likely be.”

Kohaku saluted. “You got it, Hiro!”

Yoshie continued to hold Yukio’s hands as he sobbed. “Yuji is probably fine...he probably just wanted to look at the lake...you both loved looking at the lake, correct? Does the lake bring you to a calm state?”

“Mm...Mm-hmm.” Yukio nodded, still quivering.

“Then let’s go to the lake, shall we? It’ll make you feel better, and we will find Yuji there. I promise.”

None of them really were slow on the path to the campground. Kohaku was running in first, leaving the two in the dust. A strange feeling, unlike the warmer feeling last night, fueled her muscles. It pumped adrenaline into her vessels.

Was this anxiety? Why would she be anxious? If somebody did die, why was she worried? She wasn’t worried the last two times it happened! Takehiko was a meaningless death, and Keiko was a surprise! She didn’t react to either of those! Why does her body scream at her to run, to make sure everything is okay?

Kohaku stopped. Her entire body went to a stop, and her heart plummeted. For once in her lifetime, shock seeped into every pore of her body.

Tamotsu Sugita laid next to the campfire, a puddle of blood underneath him as he laid on his stomach, face covered from her view. Numerous puncture wounds were visible on his back. He was dead. She could tell by a glance.

Kohaku gripped her chest. “Breath!” She suddenly yelled. “Breath, damn you!”

Who was she yelling at? Tamotsu, to get up and shrug off his fatal wounds? Or for Kohaku’s body to stop betraying her, to start functioning properly again and to not be affected by another dead body?

Two more sets of footsteps stopped behind her. She looked to see Yoshie still holding Yukio by the hands. The Ultimate Caretaker was now deathly pale upon witnessing Tamotsu’s bloodied body. Yukio looked...relieved?

_ Ding dong, ding dong... _

_ “A body has been discovered! Everyone, please make your way to the campgrounds at your closest convenience! And after a certain amount of time has passed, the class trial will begin!” _

Class trial...dammit, the class trial! That means he’s dead! Unrecoverable! He’s dead, and that thing was hurting Kohaku, and she didn’t know why!

“Tamotsu...Not Yuji...” Yukio cracked a smile. “It...wasn’t Yuji!”

Kohaku whipped to face him. “How could you celebrate THIS?!” She screamed without meaning to.

Yoshie was surprised. “Kohaku...you’re crying.”

“Of course I’m fucking crying!” Kohaku began to scream without meaning to. “Tamotsu was my friend! He was your friend, and he was EVERYBODY’S friend! Why wouldn’t I cry?!”

Why was she reacting like this? She didn’t care. She shouldn’t. She never got attached to Tamotsu. He could have betrayed her. She planned numerous ways to get rid of him to win the game, at different points.

So why did it hurt? Why was her stomach twisting up in knots?

And where was Shido, since Tamotsu was here?!

“...Shi-Shi,” Kohaku said in a whimper. “He was...always with...Tamotsu.”

Yoshie began to look horrified. “If Tamotsu is...dead here...”

Yukio pointed. “Look!”

Kohaku looked over. From Tamotsu’s dead body, there was a blood trail. It went from his corpse to one of the cabins. She quickly looked at its number. Cabin 4.

She didn’t even open the door. She took two bounding leaps forward and slammed into it, breaking it right off its hinges. The door almost flew into the room, but instead swung so hard it smacked into the wall of the cabin and dented it.

There was blood. Blood on the walls, on the floor, on the furniture. Everything was turned over and scratched, like a tornado had gone through the place.

Yuji Izo was propped up against the wall, blood running from his mouth as numerous stab wounds soaked his shirt. And Shido Norihisa was lying on the floor like a limp doll without any marionette strings, almost as if peacefully asleep.

“...A...Aaaaa...” Yukio behind her began to make a small noise.

_ Ding dong, ding dong... _

_ “Whoa, wouldja look at that! Another body discovery announcement, this one at Cabin 4 in the campgrounds! Please make your way there, though it isn’t that far from the other body!” _

...

** _“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!”_ **

**Chapter 3: 4 Is An Unlucky Number**

**DEADLY LIFE**


	40. Chapter 3-11: 4 Is an Unlucky Number

Everybody was gathered at the campgrounds, now. Asuka was holding back Yukio, who was pulling against him to attempt to get back into the cabin. Nobody could look at the Ultimate Gunner or listen to what he was saying.

“LIL BRO! LIL BROOOO! LET GO OF ME, YOU FUCKIN’ BASTARD! LET ME SEE MY BROTHER!” Yukio broke into another spasm of tears. “He...he can’t be dead! HE CAN’T BE!”

“Get a grip, Yukio!” Asuka snapped. “Yuji is stone cold dead! And you could disturb valuable evidence if you go to his body!”

Kohaku was staring at Tamotsu’s body, meanwhile. It was just...lying there. His blood was completely depleted and now laying around him. It was not only pathetic, but heartwrenching to see the backbone of a lot of them now broken like that.

“PLEASE! PLEAAASE!” Yukio sobbed behind her.

The broken cabin door creaked open. It was being pushed open from the inside. Everybody looked over, tears going down their face.

Yukio lifted his head, beginning to grin. “Yuji?!”

Shido was standing there in the doorway. Dried blood collected on the side of his neck as he stared with a blank, but horrified expression in his eyes. His entire body shook, as if he was going to collapse again.

Kohaku’s...emotions overwhelmed her. She didn’t even know she had them. She leaped across the campground and slammed into Shido, wrapping her arms around him. Trusting her, he let himself fall into her grasp, legs dragging along the floor.

“Shi-Shi!” Kohaku sobbed. “You’re alive!”

Yukio’s face, however, was heartbroken. “Y...Yuji...?”

“Dead...” Yoshie muttered as he made praying motions. “Taken to the heavens, just like Tamotsu was.”

Yukio seemed to faint right there. Asuka caught him, looking on with concern at both him and Shido. But of course, like everybody else, Shido was the center of attention at the moment.

Kohaku gently helped him to the logs around the campfire, careful to not sit him down anywhere near Tamotsu. “Shi-Shi, what happened?”

Shido didn’t respond at first. He stared ahead for several long moments. For a second, Kohaku didn’t even think that he heard her.

“T...Tamotsu and I...were told to go here...so we met Yuji here...but before we could talk...somebody struck down Tamotsu...and chased us into the cabin...we didn’t see who it was...I was knocked out...and Yuji was killed.” Shido gripped his head, hiccuping. “I could’ve...stopped it...”

Monokuma suddenly appeared, flanked by the three counselors. “Puhuhuhuhu! What an amazing development! Two bodies, almost three, at once?! What a thrilling twist!”

“Sh-Shut up!” Yuuki declared. “Now is not the time for you to get your sick kicks!”

“Now then, I shall pass on to you the third Monokuma File for this case. No need to thank me, I only do what is best for you all. And don’t fret! Both bodies are accounted for in this file!”

The Athlete held it out, and Daiki snatched it away from her. He held the file out to Kohaku, who took it and nodded to signal ‘thank you’.

“Well, then! That’s all I have now! I hope you all do great in the school trial!”

Hope looked at Tamotsu’s corpse. “A surprise, to be sure...I expected him to last much longer in the game.”

Yoshie frowned. “What do you...mean?”

“Hey, that’s spoilers!” Monokuma suddenly snapped. “Let the story flow more naturally instead of interrupting it, blondie!”

“E-Erm...sorry?”

“Well, that will be all! Let’s leave ‘em to it!” Monokuma dropped out of sight, and the counselors followed the same motion.

Kohaku looked down at the file. “So it begins again...” she murmured.

“Asuka, you’ll help me guard the crime scene, correct?” Daiki asked.

“Of course. It’s what we always do.”

“K...Kohaku...”

Kohaku looked over. Yukio was on his knees, holding his arms tightly to his chest. Tears were still flowing, but now, there was an indescribable amount of rage contorting his face.

“Yukio?” Kohaku asked.

“If you’re...going to find the culprit...I want to help any way I can. I want to know...who killed my lil’ brother! Please let me help you!”

Kohaku frowned. “I...I don’t think so. You don’t seem to be in the best emotional state. I think you’re going to need to collect yourself.”

Hiroko nodded. “Kohaku is correct. Yukio, I do not want to be rude, but you’ll be useless in an investigation in such a wreck. I suggest that you remove yourself from this area, away from your brother's body. It no doubt affects you very harshly.”

Yukio didn’t move, continuing to sit there. Instead of him leaving on his own, Akihiko crouched down and helped him up. With a quick and silent nod to Kohaku, he began to help the Ultimate Gunner out of the campgrounds and down the path back towards the school.

“Speaking of emotional trauma, what about Shido?” Akio asked. “Shall he be removed to recover, as well?”

“That’s...different,” Hiroko admitted. “He has a firsthand account of what happened. We’ll need his story as much as anything else.”

So it begins for a third time. An investigation that will unveil to Kohaku the murderer of both of their friends. The first two cases are easy...but this may not be as much of a walk in the park for her as they were.

Why was she saying that? Of course they were easy. She knows what she’s doing. So where did that sudden anxiety of solving this case come from? What does her body knows that her brain doesn’t?

**INVESTIGATION START**


	41. Chapter 3: Investigation Period

First of all, the Monokuma File. In an instant, Kohaku turned it on like a subconscious action. She watched the tab automatically show the pictures of not one, but both of the deceased.

_ “The victims of this case were Tamotsu Sugita, the Ultimate Anti-Hero, and Yuji Izo, the Ultimate Protege. The bodies were discovered in the campground center and Cabin 4, respectively. Tamotsu died at 11:00 with a stab through the chest from the back, and Yuji died at 11:05 from multiple stabs to the abdomen and chest.” _

11, huh? That would be an hour after the nighttime announcement. Shido did say that they were invited out to the campgrounds by a fourth party, or by Yuji himself. If Kohaku could get the reason for this meet-up, it could prove valuable in the trial.

**Monokuma File #3 was added to your Truth Bullets.**

That meant she had to talk to Shido. He was the only person having witnessed the murders, or at least a part of them. A lot of the trial and finding the culprit would probably bank on his account of what he can recall.

Shido was still sitting on the log, visibly out of sorts. He still looked up when Kohaku sat by him.

“Hey, Shi-Shi. I need to ask you what happened one more time. Include every detail you can!”

“O...Okay.” Shido nodded. “Tamotsu got me at 10:40 and told me to come with him. I-I don’t know why he wanted me to come along. We...arrived at almost 11 and saw Yuji there. But we barely had a minute to talk b-before we were attacked, and Tamotsu was killed from behind.”

“Did you see what the weapon was?”

“N...No. I didn’t. But Yuji and I got into Cabin 4 and...attempted to barricade it. I had my back to the door when I was talking to Yuji, and...the killer struck me unconscious from behind. That’s all I can recall.”

Kohaku frowned. “That injury on your neck looks a bit bad.”

“H-Huh? Oh, this?” Shido dabbed it lightly, and cringed. “T-To be honest, I forgot that was there. It doesn’t really hurt...just a scratch.”

“I see...” Kohaku nodded. “That’s all I need from you for now, Shi-Shi.”

“T-Take care, I guess.”

**Shido’s Account was added to your Truth Bullets.**

**Shido’s Injury was added to your Truth Bullets.**

Before Kohaku did anything, she noticed something on Tamotsu’s body. More exactly, something white sticking out of his pocket. Curious, she decided to lean closer, and recognized it as paper. Pinching its corner, she pulled it out and unfolded the little slip.

_ “Come to the campground at 10:55. Tell nobody. A serious issue has been brought up by Shido, and Kohaku has become too suspicious to trust. You are the next best person to speak of this issue. -Yuuki Shunsho” _

Yuuki? Now Yuuki is involved in this? Did he invite Tamotsu and by extent, Shido out to the campgrounds? Why so? And why does it say a “serious issue brought up by Shido” when the person in question has no clue why he was invited out here?

**Tamotsu’s Note was added to your Truth Bullets.**

Kohaku decided to investigate the cabin, next. Getting up, she walked over to the Cabin 4 door, then flinched. It was swinging oddly back and forth, as she broke it rather well. Trying to ignore it, she walked inside.

The cabin was a mess. Everything was overturned, and there were multiple scratches on the walls and floors. An extremely bad struggle took place here, probably made worse by Shido’s unconscious body being a tripping hazard.

**Cabin 4’s State was added to your Truth Bullets.**

Speaking of Shido...Kohaku attempted to think back. Where was Shido’s body in the cabin? She could possibly get more clues from his placement, on where exactly the killer struck.

All she got was a problem. Shido had collapsed in the right side of the cabin, and by how he was laying...he had been facing the door? When did that happen? Was he turned over by the killer or Yuji during the scuffle accidentally? Or did some other event occur?

**Shido’s Position was added to your Truth Bullets.**

Walking over the overturned items, Kohaku knelt in front of Yuji. The boy looked even more small, slumped up against the wall the way he was.

What was the most noticeable thing was the certain thing sticking out of his stomach. A blade, soaked in blood and standing out from the summer school. It was none other than Tamotsu Sugita’s personal weapon, the Anti-Rapier. Judging by the amount of blood on it, it was probably used for both murders.

**Anti-Rapier was added to your Truth Bullets.**

Not only that, another bit of evidence was just as appealing to her. A little folded piece of paper, currently clenched in Yuji’s hand. He must have been holding it when he was attacked and killed, with no time to put it aside. It was folded by his grip, and covered in some blood, but Kohaku was able to read the message.

_ “Come to the campground at 10:55. Tell nobody. A serious issue has been brought up by Shido, and Kohaku has become too suspicious to trust. You are the next best person to speak of this issue. -Tamotsu Sugita” _

What? Tamotsu wrote this? But it was identical to Tamotsu’s note, and that was written by Yuuki. And even the handwriting is exact, too. Why would there be two completely identical copies of a note, but just signed with different names?

**Yuji’s Note was added to your Truth Bullets.**

There seemed to be nothing more for her, both in the campground area and Cabin 4. But just in case, she should investigate the two other sections of this specific area before going back to the summer school.

Her first stop was the recreational sections. There wasn’t that much of a reason to be here, but she just wanted to check something out...

As she thought. The recreational weapons were still in their assigned spots, completely spotless and dry. Some people would have some doubts that they weren’t used, since they’re weapons in plain sight. But seeing them now is enough proof that they are completely separate from the murders.

**Recreational Weapons was added to your Truth Bullets.**

Now, that left the beach. Leaving behind the recreational sections, Kohaku went down the path to the beach, making sure to hurry along with the limited time she had.

The beach was perfectly normal, at first glance. The tides were particularly drawn back at this time of day, so early in the morning. There was no movement on the water or in the sky, another reminder of the lack of an ecosystem.

However, Kohaku managed to stop herself from stepping onto the beach. She was now staring at two sets of footprints in the sand. One was a larger size than the other, and the smaller one was...heeled! Those were definitely Shido’s footprints! But where did they come from? And when?

**Beach Footprints was added to your Truth Bullets.**

“Hey, ya look a lil’ lost there!”

Kohaku turned to see the Mechanic standing there. “O-Oh! Hey! I didn’t...see you there!”

“Sorry for scarin’ you, but it looked like you had a problem, glarin’ at the tide and all.”

Kohaku looked back at the footprints. “Mind telling me when these took place?”

“Erm...Sorry, can’t say for sure. But I can tell you a rough estimate because of the lake’s tide changes.”

“The lake has...tides? Like an ocean?”

“Sure does! Anyways, let’s start with your beach party last night. That particularly took place at a high tide time. So all of your footprints were washed away when the high tide came in during your romp around. High tides last on an average of six hours before they return to low tides, and your party started in the early afternoon section, so...the low tide returned right around 11:30! The footprints took place right after that so the low tide wouldn’t wash them away!”

11:30...no, that couldn’t be right. Shido was unconscious during that time. And yet, those were his footprints in the sand, clear as day. So what exactly was going on? 

**Lake Tide was added to your Truth Bullets.**

Kohaku knew she would find nothing else in the campgrounds. Leaving the beach behind, she began to make the long trek back to the summer school to investigate there.

Since Yuji was a victim, it would be a good idea to ask Yukio if anything had happened with him before the murder. Plus, that meeting about the boat escape took place last night. It would be good to review with somebody that went there what happened.

Kohaku found Yukio sitting in the cafeteria alone. He was staring at his hands, but his mind was completely elsewhere.

Kohaku sat down next to him. “Hey, Yukio...”

Yukio looked up. “Huh? Oh...Hey, Kohaku...” He returned to staring at his palms.

“Sorry to bother you at a time like this, but...I need you to tell me what happened during the last time you and Yuji saw each other. Anything can help us in finding your brother’s murderer.”

“...Anything...” Yukio muttered.

“Yukio?”

Yukio looked up at her. “Yuji...was acting strange. Usually, since he’s my lil’ bro, I walk him to his room to make sure he goes to bed. But this time...He declined me doing so. He said he wanted to grow up, a-and...He got mad at me. Like he never has before.” Yukio began to cry again. “The last thing he ever did...was tell me to stop being such a coddler and that...h-he didn’t need me. I-I thought we did need each other! For HEADSHOT! For our fans! Did he...not think that himself?”

Kohaku frowned. She knew the truth from studying. Yuji definitely had negative feelings towards Yukio, but hid it remarkably well. She had just never figured out what the hate was from. The pressure of stardom? Yukio’s over-smothering nature towards him? It’s not like she’ll ever know now.

“Thank you, Yukio.” Kohaku patted Yukio’s back. “It’s good to know that Yuji was definitely acting off before his death.”

“...We will find the killer, right? W-We’ll make him pay, right?”

“You think it’s a guy?”

“Well...I can’t see you doing it, a-and Hiroko was just beginning to open up to us...neither of would kill him. I just can’t see it.”

**Yukio’s Account was added to your Truth Bullets.**

Something came back to Kohaku’s recollection. It may be unrelated to the case, but it was something Tamotsu had given her. And he had given it to her, of all people, for a reason, even when the evidence was indicating he had no longer trusted her. There was a purpose to the gift.

Going back to her room, Kohaku opened her drawer and pulled it out. The file that had been slipped under her door by Tamotsu last night. She opened it again and observed its contents in an odd manner, though she already knew what they contained.

Somebody here was an artificial human,whether they knew of it or not. They could be hiding behind a mask like she was, or was as clueless as everybody else of their nature. And somehow, perhaps...They were related to this case.

**Blood Clone Files was added to your Truth Bullets.**

Next, Kohaku decided to seek out somebody who had went to the boat meeting last night. If she remembers correctly, Kyou definitely went. He should be able to tell her what happened.

Kyou was at the second floor, speaking of. He seemed to be thinking about something, crossing his arms while rubbing his chin with a hand.

“Kyou, can I ask you something?” Kohaku went up to him.

Kyou looked. “Kohaku? Well, of course! If you believe it to be important, I’ll share it with you!”

“By any chance...can you tell me what happened in the meeting last night?”

“The meeting...oh! It’s an alibi!” Kyou realized. “Very well! While Daiki walked over the school to check if anybody was still walking around, only Yuuki and I participated in the meeting. Hiroko had fallen asleep, remember?”

“Right...she fell asleep in Asuka’s arms.”

“Correct! Daiki confirmed that nobody entered or exited the school during this time, except...well, the three victims of this case. Yuji left first, then Shido and Tamotsu followed.” Kyou suddenly realized something. “However...Yuji’s reasoning for leaving has now been recalled to me!”

“Oh, really? What’s about it that stands out over the other two’s?”

“You understand that Shido said that he didn’t know who invited him and Tamotsu out, correct? Well...Yuji said that Tamotsu told him to meet up with the other two. Not the other way around. Daiki told me this since it sounded strange, but he thought nothing much of it.”

“And, uh...Why’d Daiki tell you all this?”

Kyou blushed. “We had met up and...relayed information to other after the meeting.”

Kohaku smiled. “Relaying information...okay!”

So the reasoning for the victims going out are conflicting each other...Yuji invited Tamotsu and Shido out, but it was really the other way around? Or was it vice versa?

**Kyou’s Account was added to your Truth Bullets.**

Kohaku couldn’t think of where else to look for evidence, but she knew that she was missing some vital information. Where else could she look for...?

“Kohaku Hikozaemon.”

Kohaku looked behind her. Hope was there, watching her with his blank gaze. For a second, she assumed she was in trouble, but he had no move towards her, and didn’t say anything else.

“Um...Hi?”

“...May you come with me to the storage room, for a moment?” Hope asked. “There is something I wish to show you.”

Kohaku frowned. “Show me...? ‘Kay, counselor!”

Both of them went back down the stairs and into the dining hall. Yukio, who was still in there, looked back up at the two walking by. He gave a confused look at Hope being there, but decided to ignore it, returning to staring at his hands.

Inside of the storage room, Hope immediately moved to the back, where the equipment was. Confused, Kohaku followed close behind.

Hope began to move aside the equipment. “You’re missing a valuable piece of the puzzle.”

“Yea, I got that feeling. But why are you telling me that, Hope?”

“The class trial is meant to be fair and square. That means giving you adequate evidence to solve the case.” Hope held out a sheathed machete. “First, have this.”

Confused, Kohaku slowly unsheathed it and inspected it. Green stains were across the blade, but no blood. This was related to the case?

**Machete was added to your Truth Bullets.**

Next, while Hope was pushing aside stuff, he moved a box. It seemed like he did it just to make room, but Kohaku knew that it had been hiding something immediately once she saw the outline in the wall. Reaching out, she used her fingernails to remove a clean cut block of metal from the wall.

Inside was nothing but a hook. The compartment was the right size for a key, and there was a faint imprint on where a key used to be. But there was nothing hanging on the tiny hook. Before Hope turned back to look at her, she quickly put the block back in.

Hope didn’t want to show her that, judging by him completely ignoring it. Did he even know it had been there? What was it? What was the key for? And where did it go?

**Mysterious Key was added to your Truth Bullets.**

“Here.” There was the sound of a door creaking open. “Here is the evidence you need.”

Kohaku looked and gasped. A door had been hidden straight into the wall, with no visible hinges or doorknob. Now, Hope was pushing it open, revealing the thick vegetation of the forest.

Kohaku peered through the door. The vegetation was cut away to reveal a misshapen path throughout the place. It was like somebody had cut through it just to bypass it in a hurry.

Curious, Kohaku began to step along it, but looked back. To her surprise, Hope was gone, having disappeared in the few seconds that her back was turned. How did he do that?

By any way, she began to walk along it. Somebody definitely made this, and it lead to somewhere. But what?

In just a minute, her foot hit the sand. She looked up, having been watching her feet. She was back at the beach, exactly where the footprints were.

This hidden path...was a shortcut to the campground area. And somebody had used it to go either to here or back to school. This took a minute at best, so...

**Hidden Path was added to your Truth Bullets.**

_ Ding dong, ding dong... _

_ “Ooooh, I’m getting bored of waiting! I’ve given you all enough time, so let’s move on to the main event! Please proceed outside to board the bus towards our class trial location!” _

Crap. There was no time now to investigate this new breakthrough further and answer some of her questions. All she could do was start to move towards the front of the summer school.

By the time she got to the front of the school, everybody else was already gathered there. The bus was waiting for them, to take them to a brand new class trial.

“Is...Shido alright?” Yoshie questioned. “This has all been terribly hard on him...”

“He says that he’ll survive,” Asuka said. “I hope that he’s right.”

“You seem to be showing a lot of sympathy for Shido,” Akio remarked.

“Of course I am. Two people died in front of him. That would scar anyone.”

The bus intercom crackled on.  _ “Has everybody arrived? Good, good! Next stop: Our third class trial! Hop on!” _

Hiroko nodded. “So it begins...To find Tamotsu and Yuji’s killer...”

Yukio gritted his teeth. “That...bastard...w-we’ll find him...and make him pay...!”

“That is what Tamotsu would want us to do,” Yoshie said. “Find the killer and bring them to justice.”

“We’ll get them, and avenge our friends!” Akihiko declared. “They won’t get away with this!”

And with that, everybody boarded the bus. They weren’t holding themselves in high spirits, but they weren’t depressed en masse, either. There was a certain air to everyone that said...’we can do this. We will do this.’

Kohaku already knew who it was. She let herself think of the culprit as the bus continued on. He was smart in trying to cover his tracks, but it’s been obvious from the start. Now it was up to her to convince everybody onto the correct track.

When the bus stopped and everyone piled out, Kohaku looked around. They were now at the side of the lake, complete with the podiums. However, there were now three new crossed-out portraits in the places of their deceased friends: Haruki, Tamotsu, and Yuji.

Monokuma was readily awaiting them with his counselors. “Well, hello, students! Are we now ready for our favorite time of our summer school education?”

“Let’s get this over with,” Asuka growled. “Everyone, onto your podiums.”

Hiroko frowned. “You’ve certainly grabbed at the leader position Tamotsu left behind...”

Hiroko is right. Tamotsu was the de facto leader of the summer school students. Without him there, there’s now sort of a power vacuum, leading others to try and claim it. Looks like Asuka was one of those people.

“Ahem!” Monokuma cleared his throat, seeing that the conversation was getting away from him. “Now, if you are all read to debate, please make your way to your individual podiums!”

So it begins again...And Kohaku knows this is an open and shut case. There’s some outlying evidence, but it’s most likely just something that will help her find the mastermind. The only problem will be proving it to others that it was him, of all people. So many would deny it, claim he’s innocent...Kohaku knows otherwise.

She will make sure that the culprit is executed and will receive his well-deserved justice!


	42. Chapter 3: 3rd Class Trial-1

**A DOUBLE-MURDER HAS OCCURRED...THE BODIES OF YUJI IZO AND TAMOTSU SUGITA SURROUND AN INTRICATE CASE WITH MULTIPLE PERSONS OF SUSPICION! AND WHO IS THE ILLUSIVE BLOOD CLONE? THE THIRD CLASS TRIAL SHALL UNVEIL THE LIES AND GIFT THE KEY OF KNOWLEDGE!**

**Truth Bullets: 17/17**

**Monokuma File #3 [Counselor File #3]: The victims of this case were Tamotsu Sugita, the Ultimate Anti-Hero, and Yuji Izo, the Ultimate Protege. The bodies were discovered in the campground center and Cabin 4, respectively. Tamotsu died at 11:00 PM with a stab through the chest from the back, and Yuji died at 11:05 PM from multiple stabs to the abdomen and chest.**

**Shido’s Account [Shido’s Lie]: Tamotsu told Shido to come with him to the campground at 10:40 PM, and they made it there to meet with Yuji at almost 11. The killer struck Tamotsu from behind, killing him instantly, and Shido and Yuji fled into the cabin, where Shido was knocked out and Yuji was killed. Shido says he was knocked out with his back to the door. Shido says he did not see the killer’s face.**

**Shido’s Injury [Shido Uninjured]: The only injury on Shido was a nonfatal slice on his neck.**

**Tamotsu’s Note [Tamotsu’s Blank Paper]: A note Tamotsu had in his pocket. It reads, “Come to the campground at 10:55. Tell nobody. A serious issue has been brought up by Shido, and Kohaku has become too suspicious to trust. You are the next best person to speak of this issue. -Yuuki Shunsho”**

**Cabin 4’s State [Cabin 4 Untouched]: Cabin 4 had been almost completely torn up in the struggle between the killer and Yuji.**

**Shido’s Position [Shido Conscious]: According to Kohaku’s memory, Shido had been lying vertically on the floor, pointing towards the door.**

**Anti-Rapier [Sword]: Tamotsu’s personal weapon. It was found lodged into Yuji’s stomach. This is most definitely the murder weapon.**

**Yuji’s Note [Yuji’s Blank Paper]: A note that Yuji had been clutching in his hand when he died. It reads, “Come to the campground at 10:55. Tell nobody. A serious issue has been brought up by Shido, and Kohaku has become too suspicious to trust. You are the next best person to speak of this issue. -Tamotsu Sugita”**

**Recreational Weapons [Storage Weapons]: The weapons in the campground recreational sections. All of them are perfectly clean and in their exact correct positions.**

**Beach Footprints [Beach Clean]: Two sets of footprints were visible on the beach. One was heeled and smaller than the other.**

**Lake Tide [Lake Still]: The lake’s tide changes overnight. It’s usually high tide in the afternoon, and low tide at night. The high tide washed away the footprints of the party last night. The change occurred at around 10:30, leaving the beach the way it was until the next morning.**

**Yukio’s Account [Yukio’s Lie]: Yukio says that Yuji had been acting off all night. Both of them got into an argument, and Yuji went to his room alone. This is the last time anybody saw them besides Shido, who saw him just before the attack.**

**Blood Clone Files [Student Files]: A set of files Tamotsu had slid under Kohaku’s door last night. Hope’s Peak had used the blood of a deceased student to create a clone of them that was then placed into the summer school program. Tamotsu had given this to Kohaku even with the claims that she is no longer trustworthy. Judging by the secrecy, only Kohaku knows the full extent of the contents of the files.**

**Kyou’s Account [Kyou’s Lie]: Only Kyou and Yuuki went to the meeting that night, Hiroko having gone to bed. Daiki also patrolled the school and only saw the three victims of the case leaving. He also reported that Yuji said that Tamotsu invited him out, but Tamotsu said that Yuuki invited them all out.**

**Machete [Toy Machete]: A machete found in its sheath in the back of the storage room. There are flecks of grass and green remains of vegetation on it.**

**Mysterious Key [Room Key]: A small compartment was found in the back of the storage room. It looks to have held a key, but there is now no key there.**

**Hidden Path [Visible Path]: There was a hidden door in the back of the storage room, leading out into the forest. On a man-made, but poorly cut path, you would arrive to the beach in just a minute or two.**

**Monokuma:** Let’s begin with a basic explanation of the class trial! So, your votes will determine the results! If you can figure out whodunnit, then only they will receive punishment! But if you pick the wrong one...Then I’ll punish everyone besides the blackened, and the one who deceived everyone else will graduate!

**Asuka: ** There isn’t really an obvious suspect this time around...

**Daiki: ** Not only that, aren’t a huge amount of things contrasting with each other? There’s so much evidence that contradicts what we know...

**Yuuki: ** Eh? What do you mean?

**Kohaku: ** I think he may be referring to the more strange part of the victims.

**Akihiko: ** And that is?

** _Kohaku: _ ** _ The strange thing that’s been on my mind...And seems to indicate something about the murder...that would be... _

**>>There were three victims**

They were murdered in a weird location

They were murdered in a weird way

** _Kohaku: _ ** _ I got it! _

**Kohaku: ** There were three victims of the case...but only two died. The third was knocked unconscious.

**Hiroko: ** That would be Shido, who was knocked unconscious before he could identify the killer.

**Shido: ** I-I’m sorry...

**Hiroko: ** I’m not blaming you. They were obviously very good at covering their tracks.

**Shido: ** Y...You...forgive me?

**Hiroko: ** We can talk later, after the trial. Okay?

**Shido: ** O...kay...

**Kyou: ** Three people went to this apparent meeting at the campgrounds. But only one survived an attack.

**Daiki: ** This is obviously because of the two murders only rule.

**Akio: ** The...what?

**Daiki: ** The rules of Monolith Valley Summer School clearly state the following...only two people can be murdered for a class trial. Three or more bodies turning up will lead to the murderer being punished ahead of time.

**Yuuki: ** Eh? That means...having three people with you at a time would bolster your chances of survival!

** _Kohaku: _ ** _ Three people at a time...maybe that explains the weird discrepancy in accounts. That one person said he had no idea, but other pieces of evidence begged to differ...His account supports Yuuki’s theory... _

**Monokuma File #3**

**>>Shido’s Account**

**Shido’s Injury**

**Tamotsu’s Note**

**Cabin 4’s State**

**Shido’s Position**

**Anti-Rapier**

**Yuji’s Note**

**Recreational Weapons**

**Beach Footprints**

**Lake Tide**

**Yukio’s Account**

**Blood Clone Files**

**Kyou’s Account**

**Machete**

**Mysterious Key**

**Hidden Path**

** _Kohaku: _ ** _ My proof is right here! _

**Kohaku: ** Shido himself said that...he had no idea why Tamotsu had brought him to the meeting.

**Shido: ** H-Huh? Oh, yea...I did say that.

**Kohaku: ** According to all of the evidence brought together, it seems that either Tamotsu, Yuji, or somebody else called the meeting together. Shido was brought along as that third person in an attempt to ensure no murder would occur.

** _Daiki: _ ** _ I have to say that you’re incorrect! _

**Kohaku: ** What’s the problem, Daiki?

**Daiki: ** I’m sorry, but a lot of evidence points away from Shido merely being the third person. While it’s true that there’s a contradiction in Shido’s and Tamotsu’s account, that doesn’t mean that it’s because of Tamotsu wanting protection from a witness. Honestly, you’re giving me a vibe that tells me that you’re trying to clamor for evidence.

**Kohaku: ** I’m not! I have a point with this!

**Daiki: ** Really? Then you have to prove this point to me! To all of us!

** _Rebuttal Showdown Start!_ **

**Truth Knives:**

**Blood Clone Files**

**Yuji’s Note**

**Shido’s Account**

**Daiki: ** You keep chasing after a fourth person involved...

**Daiki: ** But it’s obvious what happened!

**Daiki: ** Shido  **tricked Tamotsu** into partaking in the meeting...

**Daiki: ** So he could kill them when the meeting took place!

_ Advance! _

**Kohaku: ** There’s no possible way that Shido lied about something like that.

**Kohaku: ** Not only is he a bit of a bad liar, with his stammering issue, Tamotsu and Yuji’s note both mention Shido’s name.

**Kohaku: ** Since we heard about no meeting, it’s safe to assume this was planned on the spot, so there would be no time for Shido to lie.

**Daiki: ** Excuse my swear, but that’s bullshit!

**Daiki: ** You keep seeking out a fourth person, but...

**Daiki: ** There’s  **no evidence** that suggests such a thing!

**Daiki: ** The story is as simple as that, Kohaku! 

**Daiki: ** Shido is the murderer here!

** _Kohaku: _ ** _ Only I have this evidence...the evidence that proves a fourth person was involved! Tamotsu entrusted it to me, after all. _

**no evidence** \-  **Blood Clone Files**

** _Kohaku: _ ** _ Excuse me while I slice up your argument! _

_ Break!! _

**Kohaku: ** In fact, I do have evidence...and it’s from Tamotsu himself!

**Yuuki: ** Eh?! Y-You do?!

**Akihiko: ** Something that proves that the murderer wasn’t Shido?

**Kohaku: ** I do. Tamotsu slid something under my door last night, before he went to the meeting. It’s a file of a project from Hope’s Peak Academy...namely, the Blood Clone project. Right on the papers, it says that out of one of us sixteen students, one of us is an artificial human, made out of the blood of a high schooler.

**Kyou: ** Artificial cloning...but that’s impossible! Way beyond the technology at humanity’s disposal!

**Akio: ** Well, honestly, isn’t a robotic bear the same way?

**Kyou: ** Hm...good point, Akio!

**Yoshie: ** Speaking of...Monokuma, is this true? That one of us isn’t even human?

**Monokuma: ** I don’t think that this is a spoiler at this point, so...yep! One of you students is this mentioned Blood Clone! I was wondering where that file went!

**Kohaku: ** I take it this was yours?

**Monokuma: ** Honestly, I have no idea how Tamotsu got his hands on it! What an incredible eye he has if he found something as well-hidden as that!

**Asuka: ** Alright, but...why are we talking about a file unrelated to the case?

**Kohaku: ** No, it definitely is. We already clarified that Tamotsu knew that they could potentially be attacked. I bet that’s why he gave the file to me. I think he found out something...something this Blood Clone couldn’t allow to come out.

**Hiroko: ** Let me get our story straight. Tamotsu found out something about the school that he wanted to talk about with Yuji and Shido, related to the Blood Clone. He passed the file over to you, just in case, and his instincts were correct. The Blood Clone killed him and Yuji, and knocked out Shido.

**Kohaku: ** That’s exactly what I believed happened. And I know how to find the Blood Clone, too! I already know who it is, in fact!

**Akihiko: ** Whoa! Really? Ya do?!

**Kohaku: ** All we need to do is review the story one more time. Then, our Blood Clone becomes painfully obvious.

**Asuka: ** Review the story...yes, we can do that.

_ State your case! _

**Truth Bullets:**

**Blood Clone Files [Student Files]**

**Tamotsu’s Note [Tamotsu’s Blank Paper]**

**Shido’s Account [Shido’s Lie]**

**Yuuki: ** Eh...I guess it started with Tamotsu passing on the Blood Clone file to Kohaku.

**Yuuki: ** In it, it revealed one of us is a clone of a  **deceased high schooler** , right?

**Shido: ** Well...The murders started at about  **10:40** , when Tamotsu woke me up.

**Shido: ** We left to the meeting, and met up with Yuji at about  **10:55.**

**Kyou: ** Meanwhile,  **Yuuki and I** were participating in our meeting in the game room!

**Daiki: ** And then the killer struck in the campground...

**Daiki: ** He killed Tamotsu, knocked out Shido, and killed Yuji,  **all in that order.**

**Akio: ** I don’t understand how this will help us find our culprit...

** _Kohaku: _ ** _ I do. They just exposed themself, actually...by saying something they have no way of knowing other than being our culprit! _

**deceased high schooler** \-  **Blood Clone Files**

** _Kohaku: _ ** _ No, that’s wrong! _

_ Break!! _

**Kohaku: ** Well. There you have it. We have our Blood Clone.

**Yoshie: ** Ah! Do tell us!

**Kohaku: ** It’s none other than Yuuki Shunsho!

**Yuuki: ** E-Eh? Why are you thinking that?!

**Kohaku: ** Because when I was describing the Blood Clone Files, when I mentioned the blood sample that the clone originated from...I only said “high schooler”. However, you said it was a “deceased high schooler”. You would only know that if you know what’s in the files, because I never said that!

**Yuuki: ** Eh? What are you talking about? You clearly did!

**Hiroko** : No...Kohaku said quite clearly just “high schooler”, with no “deceased” at the beginning!

**Akihiko: ** Y-Yuuki...How do you know that?

**Yuuki: ** Eh? Obviously, because it was an obvious assumption. I mean, why wouldja clone a living person? I mean, wouldn't that cause an identity issue?

**Yoshie: ** Hm...Whether we like it or not, he has a point.

**Kohaku: ** But it’s enough for me. There’s a lot of other suspicious details about Yuuki...Stuff that we’ve known from day one, hidden in plain sight! And I will reveal that to everybody!

**INNER MOTORWAY**

**Question 1: What is Yuuki’s Ultimate talent?**

**>>Ultimate ???**

Ultimate Clown

Ultimate Imposter

**Question 2: Why does Yuuki not have an Ultimate talent?**

He is a reserve course student

**>>He says he has amnesia**

He snuck into the summer school program

**Question 3: Who had no available information in the infomercials?**

Shido Norihisa

**>>Yuuki Shunsho**

Kohaku Hikozaemon

_ Complete! _

**Kohaku: ** You know, Yuuki...You had a weird coincidence in the beginning happen to you.

**Yuuki: ** Eh? How so?

**Kohaku: ** You just happened to have amnesia while the infomercials each student got for the summer school just happened to have zero information on you. Not even an Ultimate talent.

**Yuuki: ** ......

**Kohaku: ** I always thought of it as weird, and too much of a coincidence. No, I know why. Yuuki Shunsho...You’re the Blood Clone planted amongst us, right?!

**Yuuki** : ......

**Akio: ** Y...Yuuki...

**Yukio** : You...

** _Kohaku: _ ** _ Yukio’s finally speaking...he’s been quiet this whole trial. _

**Yukio: ** You MURDERER! YOU killed my little brother! The thing I swore to protect with my very being! You...You took my most precious beloved away from me! How...How can you live with yourself?!

**Yuuki: ** I can live with myself because Kohaku is only partially correct.

**Shido: ** ...Huh?

**Yuuki: ** Just a bit back, Hiroko reintroduced herself to define herself as a new person. I believe I must do the same, to shed the mask away from me. Hello, everybody. I like to refer to the name my creators gave me, Yuuki Shunsho, the name of the Hope’s Peak reserve course I was cloned from. I am the Ultimate Clone. And I did not kill Tamotsu and Yuji.

**Daiki: ** Wh...What happened to your mannerisms...?

**Yuuki: ** Just as Hiroko’s cold demeanor was all an act, my obliviousness and airheaded behavior was just a mask I put on to avoid suspicion. Believe me when I say I am not heartless, and I do care like a normal human being. I’m just not as dumb as I made you all believe I was.

** _Kohaku: _ ** _ Damn...He looks completely calm! _

**Yukio: ** You...didn’t kill my brother and Tamotsu?

**Yuuki: ** I’m not even a close shot. I was only involved in this because Tamotsu had plans of his own that very night.

** _Kohaku: _ ** _ No...No, that’s wrong! He’s wrong, and he knows it! I have evidence that proves him otherwise! _

**Monokuma File #3**

**Shido’s Account**

**Shido’s Injury**

**>>Tamotsu’s Note**

**Cabin 4’s State**

**Shido’s Position**

**Anti-Rapier**

**Yuji’s Note**

**Recreational Weapons**

**Beach Footprints**

**Lake Tide**

**Yukio’s Account**

**Blood Clone Files**

**Kyou’s Account**

**Machete**

**Mysterious Key**

**Hidden Path**

** _Kohaku: _ ** _ My proof is right here! _

**Kohaku: ** Yuuki, it was you that invited Tamotsu out in the first place.

**Yuuki: ** Really, now? Explain this to our classmates.

**Kohaku: ** A note was found on Tamotsu’s body, that read for him to go to the campgrounds at the designated meeting time. It was signed by nobody other than Yuuki Shunsho!

**Yuuki: ** Bullshit.

**Kohaku: ** Huh?

**Yuuki: ** I have an easy solution to that. The note was forged. Besides, why would I invite somebody out to a meeting I couldn’t possibly attend?

**Kyou: ** He’s right! Both he and I were together in our meeting until midnight!

**Yuuki: ** Which is an hour after the murders. I never left the game room during that time, so unless if I have some teleportation device, I couldn’t move between the campgrounds and the game room fast enough for Kyou to not possibly notice. In fact, we’re the only two people with airtight alibis, so stop trying to chase whatever fancies your goals, Kohaku.

**Kohaku: ** You...

**Yoshie: ** Kohaku, he’s...right. He can’t be the murderer, because this time around, Kyou has no reason to be an accomplice. There would be no gain from it.

**Yuuki: ** Now, if we can move on from this...I want to suggest why I was tangled up in this mess of a crime scene. Tell me, Kohaku, Tamotsu gave you a file dictating my status as a Blood Clone. Then, the forged note with my name on it was on his body. Both attempts to put me into the murder are linked to him. Tell me, what does that mean?

** _Kohaku: _ ** _ What it means...it could really only be...one thing...something that somebody like Tamotsu would have never done, but...here we are... _

** _Hangman’s Gambit 4D_ **

**_ U R _ E _ _ L _ N**

** _What is the only explanation for Tamotsu’s pieces of evidence?_ **

**MURDER PLAN**

** _Kohaku: _ ** _ It’s clicking together in my head! _

**Kohaku: ** Just like Takehiko planned murder in our very first trial...Tamotsu was going to kill.

**Yuuki: ** And that is the true purpose of the meeting. To murder whoever comes.

**Yukio: ** Th...Then...that means...

**Yuuki: ** Tamotsu was planning to kill Yuji and frame me for it.

**Kyou** : But...that doesn’t...explain...

** _Kohaku: _ ** _ It doesn’t explain why Shido was there! Why would Tamotsu kill Shido?! _

_ State your case! _

**Kyou’s Account [Kyou’s Lie]**

**Shido’s Account [Shido’s Lie]**

**Yuji’s Note [Yuji’s Blank Paper]**

**Daiki: ** Hold! If you are claiming Tamotsu was to murder...

**Daiki: ** There would be no reason for Shido to be there!

**Yoshie: ** Yes...Tamotsu brought Shido to  **have protection against an attack.**

**Akio: ** We already stated that Tamotsu knew someone would attack them...

**Kyou: ** That is the entire reason we concluded on Shido’s presence!

**Shido: ** I-I can agree to that...

**Shido: That’s the only reason** I could have been taken out.

**Shido: ** Plus,  **Yuuki invited us all out** , right?

**Kyou: ** I’m sorry, Yuuki, but it makes no sense if Tamotsu was going to murder Yuji!

** _Kohaku: _ ** _ Shido...What did you just say there? Why can’t you understand that...?! _

**Yuuki invited us all out** \-  **Kyou’s Account**

** _Kohaku: _ ** _ No, that’s wrong! _

_ Break!! _

**Kohaku: ** Shido...Yuji actually said who invited him out before his death.

**Shido: ** H-Huh? He did?

**Kohaku: ** Kyou, you said so yourself...Tamotsu invited Yuji out to the meeting. According to him, it was he who assembled it.

**Kyou: ** That is 100% correct, Kohaku!

**Shido: ** B-But...that alone can’t condemn Tamotsu of planning for murder!

**Kohaku: ** It...isn’t the only thing I found, admittedly.

**Shido: ** Wh-What?

** _Kohaku: _ ** _ Why does it hurt to see that expression on his face...what’s wrong with me? Am I sick? It doesn’t matter. I have to reveal...the evidence that Tamotsu planned murder! _

**Monokuma File #3**

**Shido’s Account**

**Shido’s Injury**

**Tamotsu’s Note**

**Cabin 4’s State**

**Shido’s Position**

**Anti-Rapier**

**>>Yuji’s Note**

**Recreational Weapons**

**Beach Footprints**

**Lake Tide**

**Yukio’s Account**

**Blood Clone Files**

**Kyou’s Account**

**Machete**

**Mysterious Key**

**Hidden Path**

** _Kohaku: _ ** _ My proof is right here! _

**Kohaku: ** Shido, I...found a note on Yuji’s body. An exact copy of the one I found on Tamotsu’s body, but...signed by Yuji. Since Yuuki couldn't have possibly written one note and forged the other...It had to be that Tamotsu made one and forged the other.

**Shido: ** N-No...he wouldn’t do that! Why would he do that?!

**Yuuki: ** There was probably meant to be a switch. The note with his name on it was probably to be destroyed, and replaced with the note with my name on it. Tamotsu, after all, didn’t expect to die, only murder.

**Shido: ** Th-Then why go through all that effort?! Why didn’t he just lie and invite Yuji out as you?!

**Yuuki: ** Because there was a bit of a factor in that. Care to explain, Kohaku?

** _Kohaku: _ ** _ A factor...something that would make Yuji listen to Tamotsu, but not Yuuki...what is it? _

**>>Yuji admired Tamotsu**

Yuji was afraid of Tamotsu

Yuji was loyal to Tamotsu

** _Kohaku: _ ** _ I got it! _

**Kohaku: ** Because Yuji admires Tamotsu...not just as a role model, but a hero that would never do wrong in his eyes. He’s the Ultimate Anti-HERO, after all.

**Yuuki: ** Your idol inviting you out for a serious talk, saying he can only trust you? Any fan would gobble that up in an instant. That is why Tamotsu needed to make the original note, then forged the second one to frame me: he knew Yuji would be naive enough to trust him, but not me.

**Yukio: ** Yu...Yuji...

**Yoshie: ** I guess that is why Yuji was to be the original victim of the case...Tamotsu knew he could lure him out.

**Daiki: ** But that...still doesn’t explain Shido.

**Yuuki: ** Well...Did I ever say Tamotsu was going to do the murder himself?

** _Kohaku: _ ** _ Wh-What?! No! Shut up, you can’t be! _

**Yuuki: ** Just think. Think of Shido’s horrified reaction to the motive. Think of Tamotsu’s common vows to help those scarred by their childhoods, no matter what. Tamotsu wouldn’t murder for selfish gains, he does it for selfess ones! So look me in the eyes and tell me who our real culprit is!

** _Kohaku: _ ** _ Don’t do this...Don’t make me say it! Don’t make me have to tell them all! You bastard! You dare speak like this?! You...! _

**Yuuki: ** Don’t let your emotions get in the way, Kohaku. I know you’ve been avoiding this conclusion since the beginning.

** _Kohaku: _ ** _ You can’t...you can’t make me...I can’t believe that...it must be...it can only be... _

** _>>Shido Norihisa_ **

_ Takehiko Juzaburo _

_ Tamotsu Sugita _

_ Yuuki Shunsho _

_ Hiroko Nariakira _

_ Asuka Akira _

_ Haruki Ryobe _

_ Akio Bussho _

_ The Yakuza _

_ The Mechanic _

_ The Princess _

_ Hope _

_ The Athlete _

_ Akihiko Kenjiro _

_ Yukio Izo _

_ Yuji Izo _

_ Daiki Sorai _

_ Kohaku Hikozaemon _

_ Kyou Shun _

_ Keiko Kanon _

_ Yoshie Kazushi _

** _Kohaku: _ ** _ You are suspect number one! _


	43. Chapter 3: 3rd Class Trial-2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, just a quick note from the author! I just wanted to say that we've now hit 1000 views, the largest amount that any of my fics have ever gotten! Thank you for the support, and I hope you continue to enjoy the Reign of Shadows series!

**Kohaku: ** Shi-Shi...

**Shido: ** K-Kohaku, you don’t...look so well. Do you need me to take over?

**Kohaku: ** Was it you who murdered both Tamotsu and Yuji?

**Shido: ** ...Wh...What? Why...Why would you...a-accuse me of such...

**Yoshie: ** K-Kohaku! You accuse Shido, of all people?!

**Akihiko: ** Y-Yea! Shido’s as harmless as they come, not to offend or anything!

**Hiroko: ** Shido can’t even hurt a fly, or bear to hit a mosquito even if it’s sucking his blood at that moment...how can you possibly accuse him of murdering not only a classmate, but someone he quite literally saw as a brother?

**Yuuki: ** No, it makes perfect sense. Shido, recount your whole account of the entire story to us.

**Shido: ** O...Okay. If it’s to prove me innocent!

_ State your case! _

**Truth Bullets:**

**Shido’s Position [Shido Conscious]**

**Shido’s Injury [Shido Uninjured]**

**Cabin 4’s State [Cabin 4 Untouched]**

**Shido: ** Tamotsu took me out at 10:40...

**Shido: ** And we got to the campgrounds by 10:55 to see Yuji.

**Shido: ** At 11, Tamotsu was killed  **from behind** .

**Shido: ** Yuji and I attempted to barricade ourselves into Cabin 4.

**Shido: ** H-However, the killer broke in and  **knocked me unconscious** ...

**Shido: ** While I had  **my back to the door.**

**Shido: ** S-So I was unconscious while the murderer killed Yuji.

**Shido: ** Th-That’s all I know before I woke up the next morning from the body discovery announcements.

** _Kohaku: _ ** _ Shido, I...want to believe you, but...You’re clearly lying about something. _

**my back to the door.** \-  **Shido’s Position**

** _Kohaku: _ ** _ No, that’s wrong! _

_ Break!! _

**Kohaku: ** Hold on! What I clearly remember clashes with what you’re claiming. Shido, you say that you were knocked out with your back to the door.

**Shido: ** Y-Yea. That’s how I didn’t see the killer.

**Kohaku: ** That’s strange, because from what I remember? Your body was pointing headfirst towards the door. If you were hit from behind, it would be logical that you would fall forward. But if your claim is true...you fell backwards.

**Shido: ** W-Well, that...isn’t that strange.

**Yoshie: ** He is correct. We can’t assume he was lying because of the position of his body. Perhaps the killer got in front of him, then knocked him out before he could get a good look.

**Yuuki: ** What if Shido never got knocked out at all?

**Akio: ** H-Huh? What are you saying? He was obviously out cold!

**Yuuki: ** And yet by coincidence, he “woke up” to the body discovery announcements, just as we were finding the bodies. A coincidence that is too lucky to be ignored.

**Daiki: ** You...can’t just be claiming such a thing without evidence!

**Yuuki: ** I do have evidence. Quite strong, in fact.

** _Yuuki: _ ** _ You listen to me, Kohaku! _

**Yuuki: ** Shido’s account is ruining the basis of this whole case. Unless we wish to die here, we need to clarify his lies and set our accounts straight. Everybody is relying on us!

** _LOGIC REFRESH_ **

**Bullets: 4**

**Yuuki: ** Shido is claiming that he  **[Shido’s Position]** was knocked out from behind.

**Yuuki: ** We’ve already clarified that he wasn’t knocked out from behind.

**Yuuki: ** Now we need to make sure  **[Anti-Rapier]** if he was knocked out at all.

**Yuuki: ** Just think  **[Shido’s Injury]** about what hitting a person in the head would cause.

**Yuuki: [Cabin 4’s State] ** If Shido truly was struck in the head hard enough to black out...

**Yuuki: ** A certain thing should be visible on his body.

**Shido’s Position**

**Anti-Rapier**

**>>Shido’s Injury**

**Cabin 4’s State**

** _Kohaku: _ ** _ I can conclude to that! _

_ Complete!! _

**Kohaku: ** Shido only had an injury on his neck!

**Shido: ** H-Huh? What do you mean by that?

**Kohaku: ** Everyone, please think about this. According to Shido’s account, he says he was hit with a sort of object from behind, on the back of his head.

**Hiroko: ** And such a strike would...leave a wound or at least a mark, right?

**Kohaku: ** Shido doesn’t have anything like an injury on the back of his head, though. How could he have been knocked out if this supposed object didn’t leave any physical marks?

**Yoshie: ** In the name of the goddess, she’s...right. Shido couldn’t have walked away from a powerful strike meant to knock him out without a scratch.

**Akio: ** Then you’re actually saying that...Shido never was knocked unconscious! He was only pretending!

**Yuuki: ** Which explains why he coincidentally “woke up” once we found the bodies. A normal unconscious victim would still be out cold for a few days if they had suffered a hard strike from a blunt object to the head.

**Asuka: ** But I don’t understand why he would pretend to be unconscious...

**Yukio: ** ...To throw off our trail on him. To make him out as another victim. To cover up...the fact that  _ he  _ killed Tamotsu and Yuji.

**Shido: ** I...I...

**Akio: ** Shido...No, it can’t be true...

**Shido: ** I...I can’t fight the claims anymore, can I? Hiroko was right. I’m an idiot and a bad liar who can’t even carry out Tamotsu’s wishes.

**Kohaku: ** Tamotsu’s...wishes?

**Shido: ** Y-You’re all right! I killed them both! I’m the blackened!

**Hiroko: ** Y...You’re...really the killer? But I can’t...

**Shido: ** Believe it? I...know. I wouldn’t have done this on my own.

**Akihiko: ** Tamotsu was...in on it too, right?

**Shido: ** Yes...exactly. And it’s...all my fault! All because of that stupid motive!

**Asuka: ** Calm down. Let us hear the whole story.

**Shido: ** It...It started with the motive, of course. You all...remember my freak-out, correct?

** _Tamotsu: _ ** _ Shido! _

** _Shido: _ ** _ MY FAULT! MY FAULT! MYFAULTMYFAULTMYFAULT! WHY WAS IT MY FAULT?! _

**Shido: ** It’s...because...my most precious beloved...was my very first friend. My childhood friend. A boy I...fell in love with. And he...was everything to me. But w-we had a fight, and he said...”I never want to talk to you again!” I never...saw him again after that.

**Yoshie: ** Your motive video was your childhood friend?

**Shido: ** My motive video was his grave, labelled...”death by suicide, a life vanquished by heartbreak.”

**Hiroko: ** Sh...Shido...

**Shido: ** I had to know...I had to know if it was true, but...How could I kill anybody?! So instead of that...As Tamotsu watched over me, I told him everything! I let him know how sick my mind was! And then...

** _Tamotsu: _ ** _ ...... _

** _Shido: _ ** _ *hic* *sob* _

** _Tamotsu: _ ** _ Shi-Shi. Do you want to see your friend to see if it is all true? _

** _Shido: _ ** _ I...I do, but... _

** _Tamotsu: _ ** _ Then will you accept my offer of murder? _

** _Shido: _ ** _ Wh...What? _

** _Tamotsu: _ ** _ Let me honest to you. You are the only one I care for within these walls. I will gladly die and kill others to ensure your survival. I want you to have a happy life. So let me ask you again...Will you let me help you murder so you can escape? _

** _Shido: _ ** _ T...Tamotsu...! _

**Shido: ** I wasn’t right in the head, and neither was he. I think...he became obsessed with granting me a happy life that...he would probably kill everyone here to give me it. He had reached his breaking point...and so did I.

**Yukio: ** You both...invited Yuji out.

**Shido: ** He did all of the planning...I just went along with it. Once we met with Yuji, I...I...

** _Yuji: _ ** _ What the hell are you doing?! Get away from me! You...You sick bastard, you just killed Tamotsu! _

** _Shido: _ ** _ Hehehehe...he let me. He’ll let me live. He would die for me, so I gave him the honors of a quick death. _

** _Yuji: _ ** _ That was anything but merciful! Get away! G-GET THE HELL AWAY FROM ME, SHIDO! SHIDOOOO! _

**Shido: ** I broke. I killed them both...heheheheheh...AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! AHAHAHAHA!

**Akio: ** You...betrayed Tamotsu!

**Shido: ** Better to die than be killed! I wouldn't let Monokuma extinguish such a perfect life! I ended it with my own two hands! He was mine, mine to kill! And SO WAS YUJI!

**Yukio: ** Oh god...I’m gonna be sick...

**Asuka: ** A sick, depraved spirit...You deserve everything of what’s coming to you!

**Hiroko: ** I can’t believe it...he broke after so much straining...

**Shido: ** Well? Isn’t that it, my beloved classmates? I’m the blackened! I’m the killer! So you should all vote for me! VOTE FOR ME!

**Asuka: ** Y...Yes. Monokuma, I think we’re-

**Kohaku: ** Wait!

**Asuka: ** Huh?

**Kohaku: ** Something’s not adding up in this case. There’s a lot of unexplained evidence. I get that Tamotsu and Shido were planning to kill, but...

**Yukio: ** K-Kohaku, he’s confessed, dammit! Let’s not get this to drag on!

**Shido: ** What’s wrong, friend? Unwilling to admit that I’m a psychopath?

**Kohaku: ** Shi-Shi...You’re spewing bullshit. I know you didn’t kill them, because it doesn’t make sense at all!

**Hiroko: ** It doesn’t to me either...so I’m on Kohaku’s side! I won’t accept Shido being the blackened just yet!

**Asuka: ** Why are we dividing ourselves on such a clear result?!

**Kyou: ** A-Asuka, calm down!

** _Monokuma: _ ** _ Divvy up on your debates! _

**Monokuma: ** If we’re arguing over such a topic, I believe it’s time for our favorite stage! Everyone, stay still as your seats are rearranged!

** _Kohaku: _ ** _ There’s no way Shido did the murder...He would have killed Yuji and been done with it. There’s no way he would have suddenly turned on Tamotsu! Shido isn’t the blackened, and I need to show everyone that! _

**SPLIT OPINION**

**Team Blanc:**

**Shido, Yukio, Asuka, Kyou, Yuuki, Akihiko, The Mechanic, The Athlete**

**Team Noir:**

**Kohaku, Hiroko, Akio, Yoshie, Hope**

**Keywords:**

**Akio: Evidence**

**Hiroko: Struggle**

**Hiroko: Admitted**

**Kohaku: Murdered After**

**Kohaku: Attitude**

**Yoshie: Wrong**

**Yoshie: Weapon**

**Should the voting begin for Shido as the blackened?**

**Team Blanc: Let’s start now!**

**Team Noir: Let’s hold off on it!**

**DEBATE SCRUM START!**

**Kyou: ** Shido has visibly admitted to murdering Tamotsu and Yuji.

** _Kohaku: _ ** _ Hiroko! _

**Hiroko: ** Shido has  **admitted** to it, but we still have loose ends in the murder investigation.

**Shido: ** What can be wrong? I murdered them!

** _Kohaku: _ ** _ Yoshie! _

**Yoshie: ** Everything is  **wrong** . A lot of things do not add up.

**Yukio: ** Look at Shido’s attitude! He obviously did it!

** _Kohaku: _ ** _ I’ll take care of this! _

**Kohaku: ** Shido’s  **attitude** could possibly just be an act.

**Yuuki: ** A lot of evidence says that Shido lied about a lot of things.

** _Kohaku: _ ** _ Akio! _

**Akio: ** The  **evidence** , however, doesn’t dictate him as the murderer.

**Daiki: ** The struggle in Cabin 4 is probably from Shido and Yuji being of almost equal strength.

** _Kohaku: _ ** _ Hiroko! _

**Hiroko: ** The  **struggle** in the cabin does nothing to denote the killer’s strength, however.

**Kyou: ** Shido probably killed Yuji, then Tamotsu was murdered after to prevent loose ends.

** _Kohaku: _ ** _ I’ll take care of this! _

**Kohaku: ** The Monokuma File obviously says that Yuji was definitely  **murdered after** Tamotsu, not the other way around.

**Asuka: ** Did Tamotsu not gift the murder weapon, the Anti-Rapier, to Shido for the murder? How was it otherwise taken?

** _Kohaku: _ ** _ Yoshie! _

**Yoshie: ** The killer was behind Tamotsu, remember? They could have yanked the  **weapon** from behind, then killed him.

**FULL COUNTER**

** _Team Noir: _ ** _ THIS IS OUR ANSWER! _

** _BREAK!!_ **

**Kyou: ** So...there’s still some ambiguity left?

**Kohaku: ** Enough to keep talking about the murder instead of saying Shido is the blackened right now!

**Asuka: ** Well, what is it? Give us your proof, if you can!

** _Kohaku: _ ** _ My proof to retaliate against Shido’s claims...something we haven’t addressed, but dearly need to...that weird thing I found a bit away from the crime scene, at the beach... _

**Monokuma File #3**

**Shido’s Account**

**Shido’s Injury**

**Tamotsu’s Note**

**Cabin 4’s State**

**Shido’s Position**

**Anti-Rapier**

**Yuji’s Note**

**Recreational Weapons**

**>>Beach Footprints**

**Lake Tide**

**Yukio’s Account**

**Blood Clone Files**

**Kyou’s Account**

**Machete**

**Mysterious Key**

**Hidden Path**

** _Kohaku: _ ** _ My proof is right here! _

**Kohaku: ** Shido, if you are the killer, answer me this...What was with the footprints I found at the beach?

**Shido: ** ...Huh?

**Kohaku: ** Answer me truthfully on that. Who was with you at the beach?

**Shido: ** Why are you hooked up over the beach?

**Kohaku: ** Because I found two sets of footprints there. One is obviously yours, and the other doesn’t seem to be Tamotsu’s or Yuji’s. Whose footprints are those?

**Shido: ** I have an easy answer to that. Don’t use some measly footprints as a clue for a claim that doesn’t exist!

_ State your case! _

**Truth Bullets:**

**Beach Footprints [Beach Clean]**

**Lake Tide [Lake Still]**

**Anti-Rapier [Sword]**

**Shido: ** It’s obvious where those footprints are from.

**Shido: ** They were  **from the party last night.**

**Akio: ** But you  **never went** to the party!

**Shido: ** I’m not the only one with heeled boots here.

**Shido: ** A  **lot of other students** also wear them.

**Daiki: ** He does tell the truth...

**Hiroko: ** But your feet are  **smaller than the rest of us** , correct?

**Hiroko: ** Therefore, with  **the size of the footprints** , we can assume them to be yours.

**Shido: ** Assume? Assuming will get you nowhere.

** _Kohaku: _ ** _ Shido says the footprints aren’t his, but can he really claim that? Especially when his argument pales with some evidence I have. _

**from the party last night.** \-  **Lake Tide**

** _Kohaku: _ ** _ No, that’s wrong! _

_ Break!! _

**Kohaku: ** Those aren’t from the party, Shido. The lake has tides!

**Shido: ** H-Huh? Tides?

**Kohaku: ** The lake has specific times for low tide and high tide during the day. When the party was happening, it had been during high tide, so all of our footprints were washed away. However, it returned to low tide at 11:30. Sometime after that was when the footprints occurred. Tamotsu and Yuji were already dead, you having supposedly killed him. So I will ask again...Shido Norihisa, is the second set of footprints the true murderer you are covering for?!

**Shido: ** Wh-What are you saying?! I killed them! I snuffed out their lights with my bare hands!

** _Kohaku: _ ** _ He’s stressed now...I’m on the right track! Shido isn’t the killer...he’s covering for someone else! Whoever was at the beach with him...He is our culprit! _

** _MASS PANIC DEBATE!_ **

**Truth Bullets:**

**Beach Footprints [Beach Clean]**

**Lake Tide [Lake Still]**

**Hidden Path [Visible Path]**

**Shido: ** Stop saying I’m innocent!/ **Yuuki: ** Where are you going with this, Kohaku?/ **Yukio: ** Wait, who did it?

**Shido: ** I killed them,  **simple as that!** / **Yuuki: ** Shido has evidently admitted to the murder./ **Yukio: ** Who killed my brother?!

**Shido: ** You’re searching for a fourth party.../ **Hiroko: ** But we’ve clarified that  **Shido was bluffing.** / **Yoshie: ** Well, i-it isn’t Shido.

**Shido: ** But there is none!/ **Kyou: ** But he couldn’t possibly be!/ **Yukio: ** But he’s admitted to it!

**Shido: ** I, and I alone, killed them both!/ **Kyou: ** Daiki was patrolling the school, correct?/ **Akihiko: ** But he’s covering for the culprit!

**Shido: ** I  **stole the Anti-Rapier** from Tamotsu.../ **Kyou: ** He would have seen the culprit!/ **Hiroko: ** Shido is  **lying for someone else!**

**Shido: ** And then  **killed him and Yuji, in that order!** / **Kyou: ** They would have used  **the front door** to leave, right?/ **Yukio: ** Are you fuckin’ with me?!

**Shido: ** So there! It was me!/ **Kyou: ** There’s no other way to leave the school./ **Yukio: ** Who am I deckin’, goddammit?!

** _Kohaku: _ ** _ As I expected, everybody is freaking out again. I’ll need to sort through everybody’s voices to find a discrepancy...anything will do to advance the case! _

**the front door** \-  **Hidden Path**

** _Kohaku: _ ** _ No, that’s wrong! _

_ Break!! _

**Kohaku: ** That’s another thing we haven’t talked about yet. Thanks to Hope, I found a hidden path in the back of the storage room, covered by shelves and various pieces of equipment.

**Kyou: ** A hidden path...in the storage room?

**Kohaku: ** Which means that even if Daiki spent most of his patrolling time near the front door...somebody still could have snuck out. What’s more, this path leads to a specific place.

**Asuka: ** What is this place, then?

** _Kohaku: _ ** _ This place that I’m referring to...it can only be... _

The campgrounds

The recreational sections

**>>The beach**

** _Kohaku: _ ** _ I got it! _

**Kohaku: ** This hidden path leads to the beach...right where the footprints are, to be exact. Could it have been possible that the culprit used this way to get in and out of the summer school without being seen?

**Daiki: ** She’s right...if there was a hidden path, I wasn’t observing it. I was in the entrance hall most of the time, and on the second floor the rest of the time. I never went near the storage room

**Asuka: ** But how can you prove that it was used? It is a hidden path, after all. Who would have the dumb luck of stumbling upon it?

** _Kohaku: _ ** _ There’s some evidence that it was used. The path had poorly-cut plants to make it more accessible...what cut those plants? _

**Monokuma File #3**

**Shido’s Account**

**Shido’s Injury**

**Tamotsu’s Note**

**Cabin 4’s State**

**Shido’s Position**

**Anti-Rapier**

**Yuji’s Note**

**Recreational Weapons**

**Beach Footprints**

**Lake Tide**

**Yukio’s Account**

**Blood Clone Files**

**Kyou’s Account**

**>>Machete**

**Mysterious Key**

**Hidden Path**

** _Kohaku: _ ** _ My proof is right here! _

**Kohaku: ** A machete was also found in the storage room. It had some green marks on it, definitely from cutting a lot of vegetation. The culprit used this to clean up the trail and to get to the camp area.

**Daiki: ** And it wasn’t Shido, since I saw him leave with Tamotsu.

**Yuuki: ** Wait. I know who it is, now.

**Hiroko: ** Wait. You know the identity of the culprit?

**Yuuki: ** Kohaku, we’ve talked about everything except one detail. What have we not spoken about yet?

** _Kohaku: _ ** _ What we haven’t talked about? That would be... _

Shido’s innocence

**>>The murder weapon**

The time of death

** _Kohaku: _ ** _ I got it! _

**Kohaku: ** We haven’t talked about the murder weapon.

**Yuuki: ** Or more exactly, what it is. So...Asuka Akira. How did you know the Anti-Rapier was the murder weapon?


	44. Chapter 3: 3rd Class Trial-3

**Asuka: ** ...Huh? What are you talking about?

**Yuuki: ** How did you know the Anti-Rapier was the murder weapon?

**Asuka: ** Well, isn’t it obvious? Tamotsu was involved in the murder. He always carried around his sword. Since it wasn’t on his body, I assumed it was used.

**Yuuki: ** I see...

_ State your case! _

**Truth Bullets:**

**Hidden Path [Visible Path]**

**Recreational Weapons [Storage Weapons]**

**Machete [Toy Machete]**

**Asuka: ** Tamotsu was involved in the murder.

**Asuka: It would have been natural** to assume his weapon is the murder weapon, no?

**Kyou: ** He does have a point.

**Kyou: ** Tamotsu and Shido  **had collaborated** when planning the murder.

**Shido: ** Speaking of, why are you all doubting yourselves?!

**Shido: ** Why can’t you accept that  **I killed Tamotsu and Yuji?!**

**Yuuki: ** We will accept it in a few minutes.

**Yuuki: ** But for now...we need to iron out Asuka’s error.

** _Kohaku: _ ** _ Asuka’s error...Yea, he definitely just said something he shouldn’t have. _

**It would have been natural** \-  **Recreational Weapons**

** _Kohaku: _ ** _ No, that’s wrong!! _

_ Break!! _

**Kohaku: ** Actually, since they were murdered in the campgrounds...wouldn’t your mind go to the recreational weapons in the campgrounds instead?

**Asuka: ** Oh? What do you mean?

**Kohaku: ** We’ve clarified this multiple times. The recreational section at the campgrounds has multiple weapons of all kinds. Bows, swords, even guns. If a murder took place at the campgrounds, most people would automatically assume the recreational weapons play a part. Instead, you jumped to the completely correct conclusion of the Anti-Rapier being the murder weapon, even when you hadn’t seen Yuji’s body, where it was.

**Asuka: ** And why are you assuming I didn’t happen to see the body?

**Daiki: ** Because neither you nor I entered Cabin 4, where Yuji’s body was. I had no idea the Anti-Rapier was the murder weapon, so how did you?

**Asuka: ** Don’t get ahead of yourselves. It’s Shido. He’s admitted to it.

**Kohaku: ** Asuka, we’ve already clarified that Shido is bluffing for somebody else-

** _Hiroko: _ ** _ Hold for a moment now! _

**Hiroko: ** W-Wait, Kohaku. Let’s not do this. So Asuka slipped up understandably. We can get that.

**Kohaku: ** Hiroko, we didn’t talk about the murder weapon. I’m not saying he’s the culprit just yet. I’m saying we need to get his story straight.

**Hiroko: ** But then you’ll accuse him regardless! We’ve already accused two innocent students! Let’s not accuse a third and drag on this trial longer than it has to be!

** _Rebuttal Showdown Start!_ **

**Truth Knives:**

**Beach Footprints**

**Hidden Path**

**Machete**

**Hiroko: ** Asuka cannot possibly be the killer.

**Hiroko: ** That would have meant that,  **by some dumb luck...**

**Hiroko: ** He would have stumbled upon the hidden path.

**Hiroko: ** You had to have it pointed out to you by our counselor Hope.

**Hiroko: ** How would Asuka have found it on his own?

_ Advance! _

**Kohaku: ** Asuka probably did just that, you know. Stumble upon it by pure chance.

**Kohaku: ** Regardless, the killer definitely used the hidden path to sneak up on the three when Shido was about to kill Yuji.

**Hiroko: ** But  **there’s no way** it was found by chance.

**Hiroko: ** It is a hidden path, after all.

**Hiroko: ** Asuka had no way of knowing there was a secret path.

**Hiroko: ** It leads to the beach, correct?

**Hiroko: ** So probably  **someone at the beach party** found it!

**Hiroko: ** So it could have been anybody besides Asuka!

** _Kohaku: _ ** _ Hiroko’s very words betray her...And she’s given me an answer as to how the culprit found the hidden path! _

**by some dumb luck** \-  **someone at the beach party**

** _Kohaku: _ ** _ Excuse me while I slice up your argument! _

_ Break!! _

**Kohaku: ** That’s exactly what happened! Our killer found the path during our outing at the beach!

**Hiroko: ** Yes...That is what I have said.

**Kohaku: ** But that doesn’t cast suspicion on anybody else. In fact, it makes me suspect Asuka even more.

**Hiroko: ** Wh...What?

**Kohaku: ** Asuka is the Ultimate Weapons Expert. Somebody like that would have an extremely good eye for discrepancies in a picture given to them. Say, a suspicious gap between the trees? And he had all the time to investigate: you weren’t always swimming with him, Hiroko.

**Asuka: ** What...That’s it? You claim my Ultimate talent as my downfall? You’re an idiot!

**Kohaku: ** There’s more that I have up my sleeve, if you want to hear it. Another piece of evidence I want to admit to the case!

**Kyou: ** I think I’m about to faint from the tension...

** _Kohaku: _ ** _ More evidence I have that reveal our culprit is increasingly more obviously Asuka...This would be... _

Asuka was Shido’s close friend

**>>Asuka has large footprints**

Asuka knows all weapons and their purposes

** _Kohaku: _ ** _ I got it! _

**Kohaku: ** We all understand that Shido is small, but...he doesn’t exactly have small feet. However, the beach footprints I saw make his footprints dwarf to the killer’s, who have an extremely big shoe size. Only two men fit a criteria like that: Asuka and Daiki!

**Asuka: ** Then why are you focusing on me instead of Daiki?!

**Daiki: ** D-Don’t rope me into this!

**Yuuki: ** Don’t worry, Daiki. You have no solid evidence against you in this case.

**Asuka: ** Besides...You all are forgetting one thing! How would I have known of the meeting?

**Yoshie: ** He is...correct. The meeting information was theoretically limited to only three people, the ones who participated in it.

**Akio: ** Ah! How would have Asuka known?

**Yuuki: ** Hm...

** _Kohaku: _ ** _ Damn...he’s right. If we can’t figure out that last bit, we won’t be able to say for sure he’s the culprit! _

**Shido: ** ......

**Kohaku: ** Shido!

**Shido: ** H-Huh?

**Kohaku: ** Ah...you’re back to your normal self. That’s good.

**Shido: ** I...Is it, though...?

**Kohaku: ** Only you can give us the answer to this. Could Asuka have, in any way possible, figured out about the meeting?

**Shido: ** U-Um...Uuuh...Th-There was...one way.

**Asuka: ** You shut your damn mouth, you filthy bitch.

**Shido: ** GAAAAAAH! S-Sorry! Sorry!

**Hiroko: ** A-Asuka!

**Asuka: ** And you too, you special snowflakes! All of you, shut your damn traps and stop painting me as the culprit!

**Hiroko: ** Y-You...

**Kyou: ** You bullied Shido into submission, didn’t you?! You...You forced him to do this! The entire act, all of it!

**Asuka: ** Stop making assumptions! It wasn’t me, you four-eyed bastard!

**Yoshie: ** Shido, please take deep breaths. Tell us the truth.

**Asuka: ** Hey, I told you to shut up, you stupid priest, or I’ll come over there and-!

**Akio: ** If you dare to lay a sweaty, filthy palm on either Yoshie or Shido to do harm, I will do the honors of executing you instead of Monokuma.

**Asuka: ** Oh, please. You don’t scare me. I’m strong...stronger than you!

**Akio: ** And I am faster, more agile, and more knowledged in a human body’s vital points. Stay where you are unless you wish to duel.

**Yoshie: ** A-Akio...!

**Akio: ** *ahem* Continue on.

**Yoshie: ** Shido. I want you to show your true emotions to us. Tell us what happened, every last bit. Tamotsu wanted you to live and be happy. That is what caused him to plan a murder and be your accomplice. He would never want you to be like this. So please...for Tamotsu. Please talk to us.

**Shido: **...*sob* *sob* Ggggh...*hic* T...Ta...TAMOTSUUUU!! I’M SO SORRYYYYY!! *sob* IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ME THAT ASUKA KILLED!

**Asuka: ** ...!

**Yoshie: ** Then Asuka killed them?

**Shido: ** *sob* *sob* I...I couldn’t do it...I couldn’t...hurt Yuji...

** _Shido: _ ** _ ...F...FUCK! _

** _Yuji: _ ** _ Sh...Shido... _

** _Shido: _ ** _ Tamotsu, I...I can’t do it. I can’t kill Yuji. _

** _Tamotsu: _ ** _ But...Shi-Shi, I want you to escape. To see your precious beloved one. _

** _Shido: _ ** _ Tamotsu, it d-doesn’t matter. He’s dead. And h-hurting Yuji will not bring him back! _

** _Tamotsu: _ ** _ ...Why did I have a feeling it would turn out this way? _

** _Yuji: _ ** _ Please don’t cry, man! Seriously! Hey, I got some tissues in my back pocket, maybe... _

** _Shido: _ ** _ Wh...What? We were just about to kill you! _

** _Yuji: _ ** _ But...well, you didn’t. That’s what matters. You didn’t go through with it. I trusted you both, didn’t I? _

** _Tamotsu: _ ** _ Y...Yes. Yes, you did...You have such a brave and forgiving spirit. That’s something you should be proud of, Yuji. _

** _Yuji: _ ** _ Eheheh...Thank you! Come on, Shi-Shi! Let’s go back and loot the fridge for feel-better sweets! _

** _Shido: _ ** _ *hic* I...Th-Thank you...Thank you so much- _

** _Tamotsu: _ ** _ Ghk! _

** _Yuji: _ ** _ ...! _

** _Shido: _ ** _ ...T...TAMOTSUUUU! _

** _Asuka: _ ** _ ...... _

** _Yuji: _ ** _ Oh my god. Oooooh my god, you killed him. Goddammit, where did you even come from?! Fuck! FUCK! _

** _Shido: _ ** _ No...NO! BROTHER, OPEN YOUR EYES! TAMOTSU! TAMOTSUUU! _

** _Yuji: _ ** _ They weren’t going to kill me! Not anymore! Ooooh god, you’re gonna get executed now! Fuck fuck fuck fuck FUCK! What do we do?! Shit, what do we do?! _

** _Asuka: _ ** _ Maybe...hehe...just maybe...you would like to join your hero? _

** _Yuji: _ ** _ ...Shido, into the cabin. INTO THE FUCKING CABIN! _

** _Shido: _ ** _ AAAAAAAH!! _

**Shido: ** *sob* *sob* He...killed them both...in front of me...a-and then he...forced me to...to not talk...or...o-o-or...!

**Asuka: ** I would saw off your fingers, one by one, and drag you with me to my execution as my accomplice.

**Yukio** : ......

**Shido: ** Y...Yu...kio...I’m...so sorry...*hic* I couldn’t...protect...

**Asuka: ** Tch. As I expected from such a lying piece of roadkill. It still doesn’t prove I’m the murderer.

**Akihiko: ** Wh...What the fuck?! We just got the full story from the firsthand witness!

**Asuka: ** Did you? Or was it a lie from a silver-tongued snake? He already lied not once, but twice in this case alone. And you’re going to believe him again? Pathetic! All of you!

** _Kohaku: _ ** _ Such a high and mighty spirit...almost insane. I guess it’s time to knock this bastard down a few pegs! For Tamotsu...For Yuji..Even for Shido! I’m gonna wipe that damn smug look on your hoity-toity face! _

** _Reasoning Retaliation Start!_ **

** _Phase 1:_ **

** _You all are fools!_ **

** _You will believe Shido over me?_ **

** _He’s already lied two too many times!_ **

** _And now you fall for his lies again!_ **

** _I cannot believe all of you!_ **

** _Phase 2:_ **

** _You still press on Shido’s truth?!_ **

** _Even when it isn’t a truth at all?!_ **

** _Fools! Blind fools, the lot of you!_ **

** _I’m being framed by the little dollface!_ **

** _That brat is still the real killer!_ **

** _Phase 3:_ **

** _Shut up, shut up, shut up!_ **

** _You all are little pieces of clay!_ **

** _And he's making new shapes with you!_ **

** _There’s too many holes if I am the killer!_ **

** _Stop pressing a nonexistent truth!_ **

** _How could I have possibly known of the stupid meeting?! Can you come close to answering that?!_ **

**THE MEETING**

**HAD BEEN**

**A FEW DAYS**

**IN THE MAKING**

** _GYAAAAAARGH!_ **

_ Break!! _

**Kohaku: ** All I need to prove that you knew of the meeting is the simple manner of time.

**Asuka: ** Time? That’s it? Some silly hands on a clock will be your pretty little truth birds?

**Kohaku: ** You had a good two days or so for your curiosity to win over you. If Shido and Tamotsu have been planning to murder since the motives, their reclusive behavior was them planning it all out. All you needed was for your need to know to win over.

**Asuka: ** Oh, that’s foolish. There's no concrete evidence.

**Kohaku: ** Nobody was watching you. Two days is the perfect amount of time for eavesdropping. You were probably formulating a plan all of your own while this was happening!

**Asuka: ** That is still-!

**Akihiko: ** Shut up. Shido’s said it was you, your footprints match up, your knowledge matches up...When will you give in?

**Asuka: ** I will give in when the game is over! Because this is it! This is a game meant to be won! And I’m not letting myself lose!

**Kohaku:** Allow me to close the game until future notice.

** _Kohaku: _ ** _ Here’s our closing act! _

**“Our murder, or at least the planning of it, started when Shido Norihisa got his video of his most precious beloved. However, to his horror, they were nothing but a grave now. When he broke down, Tamotsu Sugita took him aside, then gave him the ultimatum of murder. Shido was convinced to accept, and they began to plan for it. Meanwhile, our culprit hears of this plan, and decides to make a plan of his own.**

**“A few nights later, Tamotsu began the act of incriminating their planned person to blame: Yuuki Shunsho. Tamotsu had found that he was the Ultimate Clone, a genetic experiment by our own school. While everybody was out partying, two things happened. One, Tamotsu put the Blood Clone file under my door. And two, the culprit discovered the hidden path that led to the beach.**

**“Once we returned home, two meetings began to take place at the same time. One was the meeting in the game room, between Yuuki and Kyou. The other was between Shido, Tamotsu, and Yuji. As the culprit cleaned up the hidden path, they waited in hiding as the second meeting assembled. Then, they waited for their moment, which was when Shido backed down from killing Yuji, the planned target. Then, he struck, taking Tamotsu’s Anti-Rapier and stabbing him straight from behind.**

**“Fearing for their lives, Shido and Yuji ran into Cabin 4...but it wasn’t enough. The culprit broke in and killed Yuji as Shido watched in horror. Then, they turned on the Ultimate Dancer, threatening him into meek silence and to take the blame of the murder. The two then left the crime scene, the murderer to go back the way he came. Then, Shido returned and played being unconscious until morning, when the bodies were found.**

**“I think Shido knew that there would be discrepancies. He never finished the swapping of the forged notes, first of all. And second of all, he probably followed the culprit to make his footprints in the sand for comparison for us to find later. Thankfully, the culprit didn’t catch on, and Shido was able to save the case by a hair’s breadth.**

**“The one who forced Shido to initially take the blame, and the killer of Tamotsu and Yuji...Can only be Asuka Akira, the Ultimate Weapons Expert!”**

**COMPLETE!!**

**Asuka: ** ......

**Daiki: ** It all fits together. It can only be him.

**Asuka: ** You all still believe Shido? You believe...him? Heh...heh heh...

**Monokuma: ** Well, if that’s that...I guess it’s time to pitch your votes, ain’t it? Everyone, please make your selection on your preferred suspect on your button sheet! And don’t abstain, or you’ll go with ‘em! Who’s it gonna be?! What’s gonna be the result?!

_ The buttons light up as everyone pressed on them. The screen shows an almost unanimous vote for Asuka, but there is one single vote for Shido. It’s over. _


	45. Chapter 3: 3rd Class Trial-4

As they all stared at the board displaying Asuka’s portrait, Monokuma cried out, “Looks like you all were right on the dime! The killer of both Tamotsu Sugita and Yuji Izo is the one and only Asuka Akira!”

Kohaku gave a sigh of relief. “It wasn’t Shido...”

Hiroko looked at her, smiling. “You put much faith into Shido for somebody who supposedly doesn’t care.”

Kohaku’s face flushed red, but it wasn’t from anger or any other emotion it usually was caused by. This one was accompanied by a desire to break eye contact and stare at the floor. This must be...embarrassment, or shame. But why was she feeling it at such a comment?

Shido suddenly screamed, and Kohaku’s head shot up to look. Asuka had taken a lunge across the room and now had both of his hands wrapped around Shido’s small neck, attempting to strangle the life out of him.

“You little bitch!” Asuka snarled. “How dare you betray me like this?! I told you to stay quiet, and you didn’t!”

Shido made gasping and whimpering noises as Daiki ran forward. “Asuka!”

Yukio got to him first. With his feet sliding on the floor, his fist connected hard with Asuka’s face. He didn’t even flinch when the other’s teeth dug hard into his knuckle, and instead shoved him back a good few feet.

Shido was dropped onto the floor. Gasping for breath, he clutched at his throat, which was beginning to turn red as he sobbed.

Yukio knelt by his side. “Shi-Shi,” he said gently. “Are you alright?”

Shido slowly looked up. “H...Huh? You...still like me? After what...I did?”

“You did nothing. You were pressured into it. Your emotions took front and center, you had little control.” Yukio’s expression grew dark. “Besides, I’ll rather see the man who murdered my brother go than you.”

Asuka held his jaw, wincing in pain as blood dripped down from his teeth. He didn’t let it phase him, as he got up while stumbling a bit. Instead, he snarled. “He planned to kill Yuji, you idiot.”

“But he didn’t go through with it,” Yukio repeated. “His morality stopped him. And I’ll rather trust somebody who backed out of a murder than one who would be willin’ to go through with it!”

Hiroko let another shudder go through her body. “Asuka...I don’t understand why. I thought we were getting along! I thought we were friends!”

“...Admittedly, you were the most tolerable, Hiroko,” Asuka responded. “I liked you the most out of this gaggle of fools.”

“But that still doesn’t explain why you murdered two of your classmates in cold blood!” Kyou snapped at Asuka.

He gave a cold huff. “I think we all know why I killed them. Because of the motive.”

Kohaku flinched at the memory of her video coming back to her. The videos of their most precious loved one...and the ending only up for grabs if you murder. Whatever Asuka was shown, it got to him bad enough to kill Tamotsu and Yuji.

“And speaking of the motive...Monokuma.” Asuka turned to the two-toned bear. “Show me the ending to my video. Show me my teacher.”

“Your...teacher?” Yoshie questioned. “That is your most precious loved one?”

“Righty-o!” Monokuma chortled. “I’ve already prepared the film and everything! Everyone, please sit back and enjoy!”

As he spoke, the counselors pulled up a TV. The Mechanic sat it upon some leverage, and the Athlete loaded in a cartridge. Hope pulled out a remote, and used it to turn on the TV.

There was only static for a moment, then there was a scene. It looked to be in a storage room, the center cleared out and everything stacked at the edges. One person in armor was sitting on a mat, watching. And there were two more in the center sparring, both men. One was more well-built, with brown slick hair, and the other was dark-toned with a grin on his face.

The dark man dealt a harsh kick right to the other’s face, knocking him straight to the ground. However, he flipped up easily and responded with a sock into the stomach, followed by a quick uppercut. The man doubled over in pain, and didn’t get up.

The girl on the mat clapped.  _ “Good job, teacher!” _

The brown-haired man stepped back with a smile.  _ “Work on your posture, and make sure you’re in a position to be able to block attacks to your gut. But hey! That’s the longest you’ve lasted against me!” _

_ “J-Just...” _ The dark man choked.  _ “Just tell our bro what you were about to say before we jumped you.” _

The man sighed.  _ “Yea. You probably scared him half to death when you hit me from behind!”  _ He shook his head, then looked at the camera.  _ “Anyways, like I was saying...I wanted to say that I love you. A lot. I’ve taught you all that I know, but not as a teacher. Almost like...a father. Is that a good comparison?” _

_ “Very!”  _ The girl said.  _ “And you’re like a brother to us both!” _

The man still on the floor raised a thumbs up.  _ “And...more durable than me when it comes to teacher’s punches...” _

_ “So yea. That’s the contents of this message, like we were told. Our declarations of love to our strong and reliable-!” _

The video ended just like that. The screen went to static, then cut to black after a few seconds. The counselors began to move the TV back the way it came.

Asuka laid there, tears going down his face. He had fallen to his knees at some point, palms pressing against the floor. The rest of his classmates looked at him, now the center of attention.

“Well?” Monokuma asked. “You got the ending of your video, as promised! I uphold by deals like an honest bear!”

“T-Teacher...” Asuka sobbed.

Akihiko watched with sympathy. “His teacher...was his father?”

“Not exactly!” Monokuma said. “Our dear Asuka here lost his parents in a tragic accident, too young to remember them! Then, he was taken under the tutelage of a powerful and noble spirit, who wanted to carry on his legacy! He learned to be stronger...no, the strongest in the pack, both in brains and brawns! He became the Ultimate Weapons Expert...JUST to prove himself to his beloved teacher!”

“I...I had to...prove myself...I’m strong...strong as my teacher. Strong in brain, in brawn, in...” Asuka made a shaky gulp. “In will.”

“A-Asuka?” Hiroko asked.

Asuka got up onto his feet. “Well...I guess that’s it. I die now, correct? There’s no stopping it.”

“Well, I’m not about to bend the rules, even involving tragic backstories! So yes! Execution is predicted in your future!”

Asuka sighed. “Then...I know I have no redemption. I ripped apart family to prove myself to my own. But in my teacher’s name...I want to go out with dignity. I accept my fate, no matter how harsh it is.”

Hiroko hiccuped. “A...suka...!”

“Hiroko, please do not cry,” Asuka softly chided. “Please be as strong as my teacher. Face the storm head on, and accept the lightning that will strike.” Kneeling forward, he took her hand and pressed a gentle kiss to the back of it, making her blush behind her veil of tears.

Yukio gritted his teeth. “You actin’ so nice...makes me sick! Just a fuckin’ minute ago, you wanted to snap Shido’s neck! And you killed my brother! I’ll never forgive you, do you hear me?! Never!”

“You don’t have to,” Asuka said. “You don’t even have to understand. Just know that...no, it doesn’t matter.”

Finally, he turned to Kohaku and walked over. For a second, she assumed he was going to attack her, too. However, he clasped her hand and shook it with a sad smile.

“You’ve been playing the game very well,” he said. “And I hope that one day, you will be able to defy it.”

Kohaku felt something cold pressed into her hand. Immediately, her hand curled around it to grip it tightly. Asuka let go of her hand, but his smile was now something else. It seemed to say...’good luck’.

“I hope you make it as far as we can humanly go in this game,” Asuka said.

Monokuma cleared his throat. “Are we done now?” He asked in an irritated tone.

“Yes,” Asuka said. “Quite so. I don’t wish to linger here any longer.”

“What a good sport! Your teacher taught you well! Now then, I've prepared a very special punishment for Asuka Akira, the Ultimate Weapons Expert!”

Hiroko sobbed. “Wait...Wait!”

Asuka smiled forlornly. “I told you to not cry, Hiroko. Can I please tell you one more thing?”

“Uh...uh-huh...”

He gave a small wave. “Take care, and open your heart to everyone. Do not let the past weight you down.”

“Let’s give it everything we’ve got! Iiiiiiit’s punishment tiiiiime!”

“Goodbye, Hiroko.”

“ASUKAAAAAAAAA!”

**ASUKA HAS BEEN FOUND GUILTY.**

**TIME FOR THE PUNISHMENT!**

_ Asuka sat in a chair in a pure white room. He was staring at a shiny metal table before him, shaking in fear. Sweat was going down his face as he was already turning blue. Behind him, everybody was watching through a large glass window. _

_ Monokuma jumped up in front of Asuka on the other side of the table, and two buttons popped out of it. One was a green button labelled ‘Yes’. The other was a red one labelled ‘No’. _

** _ASUKA AKIRA’S EXECUTION_ **

** _MEGATON QUIZLET_ **

_ Behind Monokuma, a TV flashed on with a black backdrop. White words appeared that read, “DO YOU LOVE YOUR FAMILY?” Immediately, Asuka pressed the green ‘Yes’ button. _

_ From the wall, a spear shot out and dug right into his stomach. Blood began to drip out of the wound and onto his shirt and pants as he looked horrified. _

_ The TV changed to a different question, as if Asuka hadn’t just been stabbed. “DO YOU REGRET YOUR ACTIONS?” _

_ Asuka paused at this one. Pressing the truth seemed to harm him. Perhaps if he lies, nothing will happen. With a shaky hand, he pressed ‘No’. _

_ Instead, something much worse happened. A mounted machine gun popped out from behind him. About 20 or so bullets went right through his body, splattering blood all over Monokuma, the table, and the buttons in front of him. Asuka was barely clinging to life, only by will of sheer determination. _

_ Finally, the TV turned to the third and last question. “DO YOU WANT TO LIVE?” _

_ Asuka’s hand went to ‘No’ at first. However, he stopped, and looked behind him. He could see Hiroko through the glass, crying and pressing her hands against it as if to try and get to him. His expression softened, and his hand slammed on the ‘Yes’ button. _

_ An apartment opened behind Asuka, and the chair tilted back. He, along with droplets of blood, dropped into a long, winding chute, smacking into the walls and smearing his blood on them. _

_ His body hit grass hard, and he realized he was laying in a meadow now. Lifting his broken body, he looked up and around, seeing nothing but a beautiful field in sight. There were no trees. No Monolith Valley. No despair. _

_ Then the ground began to beep. Asuka looked down to see a small stick poking out of the ground, the tip flashing red. With horror, he lifted his head to see the entire field littered with them, all blinking and beeping faster and faster. _

_ A bit away, the counselors were watching the minefield and the way Asuka tried to crawl away, dragging himself through the dirt and agitating his numerous wounds. It was as if this was a show to them. _

_ Suddenly, the Athlete bolted. The Mechanic tried to snatch her, but was too late as she ran right into the minefield, going for Asuka as fast as she could. _

_ Just as she lunged for him, everything went up in a fiery blaze of numerous explosions. Both of them disappeared into the haze, consumed by the infernos erupting like geysers. _

_ When they faded out, all that was left was a pile of charred remains and scraps of Asuka’s jacket blowing away on the heated wind, down and evaporating into ashes in the wind. _

Hiroko gave a heartwrenching sob, falling to her knees. Her entire body was wrecked with spasms as everyone else could only stare.

“WHY?!” she cried to the heavens. “Why was he nice the day before?! Why did I let myself get attached to him?!”

Yukio gave a bitter look. “I...don’t know what emotion to express about this,” he admitted.

“A...Aaaaa...AKANEEEEEEEEE!” The Mechanic screamed.

“AKANE!” Hope was near his breaking point, too. “DAMMIT, AKANE, WHY?!”

Monokuma was unfazed. “Hey! Why are all of my counselors kicking the bucket so quickly! I understood the Yakuza, sure! But you guys giving up the ghost, too! I feel insulted!”

“Don’t...don’t make this about yourself!” The Mechanic lashed out. “Our sisters are dead! Our brother is dead! We’re gonna be fuckin’ next!”

Monokuma shrugged. “Well! Now that you’re aware of it, the future will never come to pass! That’s the logic of time travelers, right? Once someone has the knowledge of something, they know to not do it! Then the horrible future they hail from never comes to be!”

“Shut up!” The Mechanic sobbed. “Shut the fuck up, you-!”

“Well, that’s all, folks!” Monokuma cut him off. “We need to head back to our drawing boards to let you all continue to keep the ball rolling! I hope you all have a good time with the rest of today!”

“W-Wait!” Kyou called. “What about Insurrect-?”

“Goodbye!” Monokuma disappeared, dragging the unwilling counselors with him by both paws. Bitterly, Kohaku realized that out of the five they started with, only two were left standing.

Slowly, everybody else knew they had to leave. Yoshie supporting Hiroko and whispering words of comfort and prayer to her, everyone began to leave the room.

All except Kohaku and Shido. Shido stood there, looking in the direction Monokuma had left. Meanwhile, Kohaku was still clutching the object Asuka gave her so tightly, it was probably creating an indent in her hand.

Finally, she released her tight grip and stared down. It was a key, looking to be made of pure jade. On the top, a winding snake curled around, tiny red eyes blank and mouth open to let its tongue slither. There was no identification on what it was. This must have been the key from the hidden compartment Kohaku had found.

The question was...what was it for? Such a mysterious key would probably only go with a similar-looking lock. But not only has she not seen any significant-looking locks, she couldn’t imagine any door that would need to have such a strange key.

Even more, who did it belong to? It definitely wasn’t Monokuma’s, since all of his objects had black and white coloring. The same would go for the counselors. Could it have been left behind by Hope’s Peak staff before they took over? No, it would be more professional-looking, not mysterious like this.

Kohaku didn’t notice Shido slinking up until he had his hand on her shoulder. She immediately jumped, curling the key back into her hand in an attempt to hide it. Shido was standing directly opposite of her, leaning close to the side of her head.

“Wu Ming.”

Kohaku looked surprised. “...Huh?”

“The man who lurks behind this very summer school...and the very reason Insurrection’s Abyss is looking for Monokuma. He hunts for the mastermind...Junko Enoshima.”

Junko? The name doesn’t ring a single bell in Kohaku’s head. Who is that? Is she really the mastermind behind everything?

Shido’s eyes glimmered as green as the jade key as he released Kohaku’s shoulder. “Find Wu Ming...you find your answers.”

“Wh-What?” Taken off guard, Kohaku looked to see Shido walking out towards where the bus is. “You can’t just...I...!”

Wu Ming. Now she had a name to the face of Insurrection’s Abyss. He had to be their leader, if he’s the reason they’re tracking the summer school down. Could he...be the owner of this key? But all this did was make the lock mystery more confusing...

Kohaku was silent the entire bus ride home. She kept the key in her hands close to her body, in case of anyone trying to see it. However, nobody did, the ten altogether secluding themselves into their own quiet conversations.

Once they arrived back at the summer school, it was already nighttime. It wasn’t 10 exactly, but everyone was already going to bed. Kohaku kept her focus on Shido, as he dragged his feet up the steps and went into the school building alone. That left only her to talk to Nagito that night.

Once she arrived at the fence, she only had to wait a few minutes for Nagito to arrive. He was chewing on a bag of cookies wrapped in a black bag, all of them various colors and contents. Not a single one seemed to be the same.

He noticed Kohaku looking at the bag. “Oh! Sorry. Do you want one?”

Kohaku smiled. “Nah! I mean, you’ll have to push it under the fence for me to get it!”

“Well...I can give you the whole bag?” Nagito suggested with a warm smile.

“Oh, really?” Kohaku leaned forward a bit. “What flavors are there?”

“Well...There’s Vanilla Blades, Gentleman’s Shortbread, Gjallardoodles, and my favorite, Dark Chocolate-”

Nagito had suddenly stopped talking. Kohaku looked up to see his face had a mixture of both horror and worry. She followed his gaze to see that he was staring at the jade key she was still clutching.

Nagito dropped the bag into his lap. “Where...did you get that?”

“...You know what this is,” Kohaku realized.

“I-I mean, I do know what it is, but I don’t know what it’s for-”

Kohaku glared. “Nagito. You need to tell me everything I want to know about this key. Our lives may possibly depend on it. Depending on what you say, this can actually be our way out, or a way to find the mastermind Junko Enoshima.”

Nagito stood up. The cookies scattered on the ground, but he didn’t pay attention to them. “I...I have...to go.”

“Nagito-!”

It was too late. Picking up the bag, Nagito booked it down the path. He left Kohaku sitting there with two many questions and not enough answers.

_ Every time the coin hit the wall, the woman flinched a bit. She didn’t let it show, but not only did she respect Wu Ming, she actually feared him in a way. He may look odd, but he knows how to survive, by any dirty means necessary. _

_ Wu Ming caught the coin with practiced precision when it came back to him. “Who died this time around?” _

_ She cleared her throat. “Three. None of them important. On one hand, it’s narrowing our list of suspects. On the other...” _

_ “We’re treadin’ in the danger zone, now that a lot of the cannon fodder is gone,” Wu Ming finished. “The more important people trapped in that hellhole are now much more of a fair game.” _

_ “Well, that’s all. I shall leave you to-” _

_ “How’re the counselors?” _

_ The woman hesitated before answering. “F...Fine?” _

_ Wu Ming frowned a bit. “‘Cept the one we doomed?” _

_ “For a man who talks only business...You seem to have a lot of regret in what happened to Fuyuhiko.” _

_ “How can I not? Who I usually doom are adults, psychopaths who deserve it. That was a damn kid.” _

_ The woman chuckled. “With that attitude, you could settle down and be a father.” _

_ “Whatever you say.” Wu Ming gave a lazy salute. “Wu Ming out.” _

_ The woman nodded, leaning to end the holographic call. “Goodbye, Wu Ming.” _

**Chapter 3: 4 Is an Unlucky Number**

**REMAINING STUDENTS:**

Shido Norihisa

Kohaku Hikozaemon

Yuuki Shunsho

Yukio Izo

Daiki Sorai

Yoshie Kazushi

Hiroko Nariakira

Akihiko Kenjiro

Akio Bussho

Kyou Shun

**10 STUDENTS REMAINING**

** _ITEM GET!: Anti-Rapier_ **

** _Tamotsu’s personal weapon that confirms the completion of Chapter 3. Despite being crafted for justice, all it does now is stand for a terrible sin._ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And with that, Chapter 4's Free Time Events are now open for application! There will be a total of six spots for Free Time Events, and as usual, duplicates of the same person can be chosen unless their Free Time Eventd are all maxed out (though currently, none are). And once more, choose wisely, since there will be a death toll in the next chapter, and some Free Time Events will be lost permanently!


	46. Chapter 4-1: Being A Hero Will Make You A Villain

_ “I see...so you want me to...” _

_ ... _

_ “However, I have questions. How will I get past Monokuma to do this?” _

_ ... _

_ “Well, whenever we let you do things, they tend to go wrong. I don’t doubt your abilities, but-” _

_ ... _

_ “W-Well, of course we save them! I’m not saying we shouldn’t!” _

_ ... _

_ “Yes...Okay, I got it. I’ll carry out your word. Looks like I’m joining the reserve course again.” _

**Chapter 4: Being A Hero Will Make You A Villain**

Kohaku found herself counting on her fingers while sitting in the dining hall. Out of the sixteen students who entered this school, only ten remain now. Takehiko Juzaburo, killed by the Yakuza. Keiko Kanon, died by a failed assisted suicide. Haruki Ryobe, boiled alive in acid. Both Tamotsu Sugita and Yuji Izo, fatally stabbed by Tamotsu’s own weapon. And Asuka Akira, blown to smithereens. All unproportionate and unjustifiable deaths, especially for young highschool students.

Despite being only six less, the dining hall felt empty. That was because out of the ten people left, there were only eight in the room. Yuuki and Yukio had not arrived to breakfast yet.

Kohaku noticed all of the other seven students talking to each other. She had probably zoned out, and they assumed she was at least listening. With a bit of mental scolding, she went back to listening to what they were saying.

Luckily, she caught them just when their conversation was starting. “Are you sure you’re alright, Shido?” Yoshie was asking the Ultimate Dancer.

While Shido’s face displayed sadness, he gave a bitter smile. “Yea, I-I’m fine. Really. I’ll just need some time to recover, that’s all.”

Yoshie sighed. “That’s good. Many of us were worried for you, after all.”

Hiroko cleared her throat. “That...reminds me. Shido?”

“Hm? Yes, ma’am?”

“...No, just Hiroko is fine. I’m afraid I can’t exactly will myself to fool with and abuse you any longer. To be honest...it was very hard for me, but I thought it was the only way. Putting up an abstract art...you all would fear me and leave me alone. But I realize how lonely that made me. And I don’t want to do it anymore. So for now on...Call me Hiroko! As friends!”

Shido looked surprised, tears at the corners of his eyes. “Hi...Hiroko, I...don’t know what to say.”

Hiroko only smiled softly. “Well...You don’t really have to say anything on it.”

Daiki chuckled. “You know, it’s kind of cute to see both of you fumble with making friends. No offense.”

“None taken,” Hiroko replied. “Since my lack of trust in others...I have a bit of a friendless background. I don’t really know how to...interact properly.”

“S-Same here,” Shido stammered.

Kyou cleared his throat. “Now, then! I believe we should move on to our breakfast meeting and discuss our next plan of action!”

Akio raised his hand. “Erm, I have a suggestion. Since another class trial is completed, does this mean that another floor is unlocked for us?”

“Akio’s right,” Akihiko said. “We should go and-”

The door opened up, and everybody looked as Yuuki quietly walked in. His serious personality wasn’t hidden anymore, instead visible on his face. He had even rearranged his scarf so it didn’t hang over his chest and tied the laces on his sweats.

“Yuuki!” Daiki said with joy. “I’m happy you could join us!”

Yuuki nodded. “Glad to be here, too. And I’m content with the fact that I don’t need to fake stupidity around all of you anymore, now that you all know my identity as the Ultimate Clone.”

“Speaking of...by chance, is Yuuki Shunsho your real name?” Yoshie questioned.

“Well...no,” Yuuki admitted. “But that’s all I have besides a serial code. And I would like to identify by a name, at least.” He looked around. “So...this makes nine of us. Where is Yukio?”

Kohaku shrugged. “Beats me. Ain’t he a heavy sleeper?”

“He’s probably still thinking about what happened,” Daiki pointed out. “His younger brother is dead. He’s going to want some time alone, for sure.”

“So he will not be joining us?” Yuuki presumed.

“I don't expect him to,” Daiki responded.

“Alright. Fine by me.” Yuuki glanced at Kyou. “What did I miss?”

“We were just about to investigate the school for a new unlocked portion!” Kyou declared.

Yuuki nodded. “Right...every class trial unlocks another floor of the summer school, or in a special case last time, the campgrounds.”

Kohaku nodded. “So that means we should investigate if the third floor is unlocked now!”

“Is it okay if I remain here?” Akihiko asked. “Just in case if Yukio decides to come after all.”

“That’s fine by me!” Kyou replied. “It would be a good idea for one of us to remain since one of us is late, after all!”

“Then the rest of us will head to the third floor?” Yoshie asked.

Akio nodded. “Seems like it, Yoshie.”

Kohaku watched everyone agree on what to do. Akihiko will remain in the dining room in case Yukio would arrive eventually. Meanwhile, the rest of them will explore the presumably unlocked third floor. She nodded along, finding nothing wrong with the arrangement.

Honestly, she’ll probably find nothing significant on the third floor. Not anything related to the jade key, of course. But there was no harm in trying. Besides, whatever the key went to, she did quite frankly want to find it first.


	47. Chapter 4-2: Being a Hero Makes You a Villain

When Kohaku exited the stairs to step onto the third floor of the summer school, she noticed that it looked almost identical to the second floor. Two large doors to different rooms were on either side, and straight ahead was another hallway of abandoned classrooms. Why were there so many classrooms if there were only sixteen students?

In the hall, both Daiki and Kyou were standing around. They didn’t seem to be interested in entering either room, instead looking around at the area.

“It’s like a copy and paste...” Daiki muttered. “This looks completely identical to the lower floor.”

“Maybe they just reused the floor plans?” Kyou said.

“That can be true, but...the first floor looks nothing like the second floor, yet the second and third floors are identical. It’s weird...”

Kohaku didn’t have anything to add to their discussion. While she will admit the identical floors were odd, it wasn’t her concern at the moment. Instead, she looked up at the signs for the two doors.

The one on the left was a book with a candle next to it. The one on the right was a glass beaker with a liquid filling it halfway. The right one was rather obvious, so her attention went to the left door. Kohaku slipped through it, staring inside.

It was quite a large room, filled with pews and candles. A podium was at the end, with red tapestries behind it. And in front of that tapestry, a white womanly figure carved from irony stood tall enough to nearly hit the ceiling, wearing golden clothes and wings that looked as if every individual feather was a sharp metal plate. It looked like a chapel...no, it was a chapel.

Akihiki was at the podium, running his hand over it. Akio was at the table in front of the ivory figure, investigating what was on it. Yuuki was reading a book from it, while Yoshie was walking around, lighting candles with a white one while humming.

Kohaku slowly walked up, looking around. “Huh...What is this?”

“A chapel for Yoshie’s religion,” Yuuki explain, flipping the page. “The summer school must have made it especially for him.”

Yoshie looked joyful. “It rather puts me in a calm mood to light all of these candles!”

Yuuki continued on with, “The book calls it Luflority. It’s a small-scale religion that practices the art of self-esteem and love, and placing your own health first in order to help others.”

“Sounds like something Shi-Shi needs!” Akihiko called with a laugh.

Yuuki cringed a bit. “This book says there are...animal sacrifices.”

Akio picked up a knife on cue. It had a golden hilt, encrusted with beautiful jewels. “You would use this, correct?”

“Careful!” Yoshie quickly took it away. “That’s a very sharp knife. Why did you take it out of the sheath?”

“Th-There is none!”

Yoshie quickly looked over the table. “The sheath...is not here?” He set down the knife, kneeling down. “Perhaps it fell down here...”

As Yoshie crawled around, Akio asked, “You do animal sacrifices?”

“Yes, but only with that kind of knife. It is said to be purified and blessed by the goddess Minoa, and dying by it is an ultimate form of respect to the sacrifice. It means that the sacrifice is in Minoa’s good graces, and she will bless us with her love.”

“I see...” Akio hummed.

Yoshie laughed. “Don’t worry! Luflority doesn’t allow the sacrifice of humans! I won’t kill any of you in an insane desire to fulfill my goddess’s wishes.” He got back up. “Hm...The sheath is nowhere in sight. I’ll look later, then.”

“Your religion is quite...loving,” Yuuki noted. “Both to yourself and others. Were you born with it?”

“No, not at all. I found it when I was an infant. Luflority was perfect to me, since at that point, my life was...in a point of turmoil.”

Akio’s face fell a bit. “An infant, you say?”

“I...will refrain from saying much more.” Yoshie returned to lighting the candles. “Are you here to pray to the goddess for happy times with me?”

Kohaku shook her head. “Nah. I was just checking out the place.”

Akihiko shrugged. “Why not? A goddess’s love may be something I need right now.”

“Me too,” Akio agreed. “I’ll be glad to see how enlightening this is.”

Yuuki frowned, closing the book. “I’ll just watch, if that’s alright.”

As Yoshie knelt down and clasped his hands, Akihiko and Akio doing the same, Yuuki placed the holy book back onto the table and proceeded to sit on one of the pews. Kohaku quickly excused herself and left just as Yoshie began to say his prayers out loud.

In comparison, the room to the right was much more scientific. Numerous tables were covered in beaker stands, and cabinets in the back held various liquids with labels on them. The proper safety equipment was organized in their correct positions. And at the window, there was a technological telescope, complete with a connected seat to watch the stars.

Shido and Hiroko were together in the room. Shido was sitting at a table, looking around with curiosity. Meanwhile, Hiroko was flipping through various papers on one of the lab’s clipboards.

“S-So your magic is real?” Shido asked.

Hiroko looked at him. “Indeed. It’s how I figured out the game room had no cameras, after all.”

“Th-That’s so cool! What’s it like?”

Hiroko blushed at the attention. “Well...It’s mostly on the occult side. Ghosts and souls and other spiritual things.”

“Like...magical rocks and those circles in the ground?”

“No, that’s pagan magic. If I practiced that, I would instead be the Ultimate Witch. But...I do believe in the healing and spiritual properties of certain minerals like quartz, much like pagan witches.”

“Well...that’s still cool.” Shido smiled in admiration.

As Hiroko blushed, Kohaku walked up. “So, guys?” She asked happily. “How’s the search?”

Hiroko jumped a bit. “O-Oh! Kohaku! You, uh...entered so quietly!” She cleared her throat, and tried to resume a serious tone. “But since you are asking, not so well. All of this stuff is very fascinating, but not anything useful to getting out or at least contacting the outside world.”

Shido frowned. “Sh-Shouldn’t they have caught on by now? Why hasn’t Hope’s Peak done anything?”

“I...have a theory,” Hiroko admitted. “Perhaps this is not the real Monolith Valley, and we were ferried off by kidnappers into a false replica. We could have been knocked out and placed on that bus we all woke up on.”

“That could explain the blackout, but what it wouldn’t is that not a single person among us remembers anything like being attacked,” Kohaku pointed out. “With a theory like that, wouldn’t you think just one dude or dudette would have the faintest recollection?”

“Hm...true,” Hiroko admitted. “You raise a valid point.”

Kohaku then smiled. “So, how about it? Ain’t you enjoying Shi-Shi’s company?”

Hiroko blushed. “Well...Th-That’s...!”

Shido smiled. “She’s very smart, and has a lot of interesting stuff to say. I-I think I like her more when she isn’t acting all mean.”

Hiroko sighed a bit, her blush fading. “I tried to apologize for that a million times by now, but he keeps refusing my apologies...”

Shido frowned. “B-Because you have nothing to apologize for.”

“See? There he goes again! Just accept my remorse!”

Shido pouted. “No!”

As they bickered, Kohaku found herself smiling a bit. It filled her with such a strange warmth to see them finally getting along. She had never felt it before, but she really liked it. She should watch others playfully argue more often.

The Ultimate Illusionist shook off the feeling and resumed her mission. She looked to make sure Hiroko and Shido were preoccupied with each other. Once she was definite of it, she proceeded to begin surveying for any lock that seemed to match with her jade key.

To her dismay, there was nothing like it, no matter how hard she looked. Not only did none of the locks have any significant details, none of them were the correct size for the key. It was too slender for the big locks Monolith Valley used.

Kohaku huffed, walking over to the telescope while putting the jade key back into her pocket for safekeeping. She’ll still need to keep an eye out no matter what, but for now, the science lab didn’t have the lock she was looking for.

A green glimmer caught her eye, and she immediately looked down. Right on the telescope seat was a single jade coin with no significant marks, shining in the daylight coming through the large window. Under that, a single slip of white paper.

Immediately, Kohaku snagged both of them and shoved them right after the key into her pocket, careful to not alert Hiroko or Shido of anything. She managed to slip out fast with a short goodbye, leaving them in the science lab.

Back in the hallway, Kohaku was going immediately for one of the classrooms. She wanted utmost privacy at the moment. She needed to see what the note with the jade coin contained.

She took a single step into the classroom and stopped. Her eyes widened immediately at what was inside. The note immediately left her mind, as well.

A high school boy was sitting in one of the desks. His head and arms were on the table, and he was clearly either asleep or unconscious. He was completely unfamiliar to Kohaku, with brown hair, a blue tie, and a normal shirt and shorts.

Immediately, she ran over to him, grabbing his arm. “Hey! Hey!” She shook him a bit too violently. “Wake up!”

He gave a groan of pain, and forced his eyes open. Kohaku could tell he hadn’t been sleeping much. He must have just been taking a nap.

“Wh...Who are you?” He asked.

“My name is Kohaku Hikozaemon,” she answered. “And you?”

“H...Hajime Weil.”

Kohaku looked floored, eyes going wide. “W-Weil?!”

Hajime blinked a few times, growing more alert. “You...know it?”

Kohaku leaned in a bit, in case cameras were watching. She quickly murmured, “Your brother is Nagito, right?”

Hajime looked surprised. “He...He’s here, too?”

Kohaku quickly pulled back. “Why are you here?” She suddenly asked, trying to change the subject.

Hajime glanced around, nodding a bit as if he got the message. “I...woke up here, in this classroom. I’ve been here for a long time now, locked in here while my food was brought to me.”

Kohaku scowled. “Wait, how do you take a wee, then?”

Hajime cringed. “Monokuma...brings cups.”

“Ewww!”

The other rubbed his eyes, standing up. “I...I was part of Class-768G, I think. I was a...reserve course student, so I wasn’t in the infomercial. I missed the bus, so I decided to take a cab to Monolith Valley, but...I got attacked from behind, a-and I blacked out.”

“So you went to Hope’s Peak?” That means that Nagito does, too. Was he a reserve course student meant to come here too, unknowingly trapped in Monokuma’s game as a spectator?

“Yea...Well, I used to,” Hajime admitted. “I’ve been locked up long enough that I could consider myself suspended. Look, where are we?”

“You’re in...Monolith Valley, right where Class-768G ended up,” Kohaku explained quickly. “And we all blacked out on the bus, too. And when we woke up, we were put in this...”

“Killing game?” Kohaku must have looked surprised, because Hajime tilted his head to the mounted TV in the room. “Monokuma’s told me. I’ve heard all of the announcements, too. Body discoveries, class trials...it’s given me a rough picture of what’s going on.”

“I-I see...” Kohaku nodded, pursing her lips. “So you remember getting attacked?”

“Y-Yea. Right from behind. I think something was put over my nose and mouth to knock me out...that was a while ago.”

“About two weeks ago?” Kohaku guessed.

“I believe so. The only way I know how many days there are is because of the nighttime and daytime announcements.”

_ Ding dong, ding dong... _

_ “This is a super important announcement! All students present, make your way to the main hall so we may introduce our newest classmate and participant in the Killing Game Season!” _

“That’s a new announcement...” Hajime looked at the TV.

“He’s obviously referring to you!” Kohaku said. “Jeesh, man!”

“S-Sorry!” Hajime exclaimed. “I really only have a rough understanding of what’s happening here...”

Kohaku couldn’t exactly get mad at Hajime. He was right. He’s been locked in a single classroom with only Monokuma and maybe even the counselors for company for a good two weeks or so. Figuring out what was happening from them alone is a difficult task.

But now a new participant in the Killing Game Season was here. Their forces have elevated back to eleven. Perhaps with what possible knowledge their new classmate could have, they can get a better standing point against Monokuma in his own game.


	48. Chapter 4-3: Being a Hero Makes You a Villain

When both Kohaku and Hajime entered the main hall, everybody was already there save for Yukio. When they stepped through the door, everybody looked in interest at the newcomer.

“Hello,” Daiki said. “You must be our new classmate.”

Hajime nodded. “Y-Yea. I’m Hajime Weil, a reserve course student. I had been locked in a classroom on the third floor up until this point.”

Hiroko winced. “You mean while the entire...game was going on, you were locked away?”

“Yea...It wasn’t fun, especially since I knew that people were dying right below my feet.” Hajime cleared his throat. “Though that’s a bad thing to mention.”

With a cartoonish springing sound, Monokuma popped up, followed by only the Mechanic. “Hello, students! How has your exploration so far been?”

Kyou adjusted his glasses. “It has all been smooth sailing, Headmaster Monokuma!”

“And I see you found your new classmate, Kohaku!” Monokuma chuckled. “Find anything else of interest?”

Kohaku’s heart skipped a bit. He knew. Play it calm. He can’t do anything with everybody here. She hasn’t broken any rules. Besides, he probably just thinks that she found the coin and its message, not that she has the mysterious key Asuka found before he killed Tamotsu and Yuji.

“Nope!” She chimed. “Just some cool-looking trinkets, probably left behind by the faculty! Judging by them, there could be a geology class!”

“Oh, geology!” Daiki exclaimed. “What did you find, a geode?”

“A jewel. But it’s mine! Finders keepers, Sailor Boy!” Kohaku grinned in victory.

Monokuma seemed to drop the subject. “Well, just don’t damage it. That’s school property, after all!”

Looks like Monokuma was under the impression that Kohaku thought it was just some fancy jewel. Good. She wants it to stay that way for as long as possible.

“Now, then! Everyone, I introduce to you officially your new classmate! Say hello to Hajime Weil, reserve course!”

Shido looked up. “Weil...?” He had recognized it almost as fast as Kohaku had.

“That’s not a last name you would expect from a Hope’s Peak student,” Kyou pointed out.

Akihiko frowned. “Hey...”

“I...apologize. I forgot Akihiko Kenjiro isn’t your real name.”

Hajime slowly waved. “H...Hello, everybody. I understand that this is not a normal summer school, but...I hope we can get along in this situation.”

“The more, the merrier,” Yoshie hummed.

“I don’t know,” Yuuki admitted. “I’m not keen on adding a new...friend to our circle. And besides...I’m a bit suspicious about another thing. Where is the counselor Hope?”

He’s right. When Kohaku looked, she saw that only the Mechanic was standing there. Not only that, he was considerably nervous about something. But what?

“Hey, where’s Hope?” Kyou asked. “He wasn’t executed recently.”

Monokuma suddenly gained a sad expression. “Oh, Hope! Such a fleeting, but strong spirit! He was my favorite counselor!”

The Mechanic looked confused. “Hey, I thought the Princess was your fave!”

Monokuma ignored him. “I tried to cast aside the truth, but it became overbearing! My worst nightmares had been revived!” He cleared his throat. “I regret to inform you that Hope was a secondary traitor for Insurrection’s Abyss, and was executed as a result.”

No. That was too flawed to be the truth. If he was executed, it would have been in front of everybody. Instead, he was ushered backstage? Kohaku didn’t believe it for one second.

However, a lot of the others did, judging by the way Akio gasped. “Hope was...a mole for the terrorist group?”

“Wait, I’m confused,” Hajime piped up. “What’s Insurrection’s Abyss?”

“According to Monokuma, the worst terrorist group in existence,” Akihiko said. “They want to end the killing game and apparently, implement something much worse.”

“What can be worse than being manipulated to killing your classmates?” Hajime questioned.

“Now that we’re on the topic of this organization of ne’er-do-wells, what’s happening currently?” Hiroko asked. “Are they gaining on us?”

Monokuma was quiet for a moment, as if considering to talk. When Kohaku began to cock an eyebrow, he simply said, “You won’t have to worry about them much longer!”

“Is that...good or bad?” Daiki questioned.

“Whatever you think of it to be!” Monokuma responded rather quickly, as if he wanted to drop the subject. “It doesn’t matter to you all at this point. I have it all under control!”

Kohaku knew that was a lie, but she didn't press it further, otherwise she would look suspicious. “Okie-doke!” She chimed. “I guess we’ll have to take your word on that!”

Monokuma frowned. “Hey...somebody isn’t here!”

“It took you until now to notice that?” Akio questioned.

“Where’s your pal Yukio? I told everybody to gather here!”

“Well, his brother is now amongst the deceased,” Yoshie pointed out. “That would psychologically affect anybody.”

“Psychology, bicology!” Monokuma snapped. “Personal affairs should never mingle with good school attendance! He should know that not showing up to school assemblies warrants a punishment!”

“W-Wait!” Shido suddenly jumped in. “A student’s life is also very busy and stress-inducing at times. You can’t expect one to have good attendance every single day, headmaster! C-Can you let it slide for once?”

Monokuma tilted his head. “Well...”

“Please,” Hiroko begged. “His brother perished. Excuse his tardiness for once in his academic experience here, headmaster.”

Monokuma blushed a bit. “Oooh! How can I resist such charming students? Alright, fine. But only this once! The next meeting he skips is entirely on him!”

Shido breathed a sigh of relief. “Th-Thank you, headmaster.”

Kohaku almost smiled. It was a nice change of pace to see Shido and Hiroko working together on something for once. And plus, it was a bit amusing to see them grovel before Monokuma to grant Yukio much-needed amnesty.

“Well, that’s all!” Monokuma startled Kohaku out of her thoughts. “Let’s go, Mechanic!”

The Mechanic drummed his fingers against his arm, scowling in distress. “Y-Yea...let’s go.”

As both dipped out of sight, Kyou looked at Hajime. “So, you’re reserve course? That means that you have no Ultimate talent.”

Hajime chuckled a bit nervously. “Yea...it’s a bit awkward to be surrounded by students that dominate their fields of knowledge.”

Daiki frowned. “However...there really isn’t enough evidence to trust you completely, Hajime. Don’t get me wrong! You seem like a swell guy!”

“No, I understand. Being dropped in so late to the game and having not been in the infomercial? I completely get your disbelief. I know that I have to work for your trust now, and I promise, I will. I just want you all to know that I’m no bad guy. I’m in the same situation as you, after all.”

Hiroko nodded. “Well, I’ll have you know that because of that, you are strictly prohibited from entering the game room at night until you gain our trust. We go there every night to discuss between ourselves.”

Hajime nodded. “Got it. I’ll remember that.”

“So, what games should we play tonight?” Akihiko questioned.

Daiki hummed. “Maybe...some games involving naval battles?”

“I would like to play that one occult game, too,” Hiroko said.

Yuuki shrugged. “Hey, I just think that horror is a fun genre.”

“But we played that last time!” Kyou argued. “How about some office management simulators?”

“Hey, can we do psychological horror tomorrow?” Kohaku asked.

Daiki shrugged. “I don’t see a problem with it.”

So Daiki, Hiroko, and Kyou will be participating in the boat meeting tonight. And Kohaku will be doing so tomorrow night. Hopefully Shido got the message that it’s his turn to visit Nagito that night.

Since it was beginning to turn to night, Kohaku began to head back to the dining hall. While she won’t believe that it’ll work, she doesn’t mind tickling the fancy of collecting provisions for the grand boat escape. So, just like everyone else, she was grabbing extra food to be smuggled out into a hidden forest area Yukio and Yuji set up.

As she was about to enter, her shoulder felt a hand clap onto it. She looked behind her, startled a bit, to see Shido staring at her.

“H-Hey.”

“Shi-Shi? Is there a problem?”

“Oh, n-no. I was just...thinking about Weil.”

“...Yea.” Kohaku nodded. “So have I.”

With Tamotsu dead, only they knew that Nagito existed in the summer school area. And now, they’ve silently agreed to keep it that way. More people knowing means more of a chance of their trickery being discovered by Monokuma.

But now that Hajime was in the game, she could see that both of them were debating about telling him. He already knows that Kohaku knows of Nagito’s existence. He just doesn’t know how she does. And that was the dilemma that both of them silently juggled with.

“You hungry?” Kohaku asked quietly, her hand still on the door.

“Yea...a bit. That’s why I came here.”

She knew that he had only followed her for that small exchange. However, she gave him a tiny smile. “Okay. Let’s have some food.”

As they entered, Kohaku immediately noticed Yukio. He was adjusting his clothing, as if he had just pulled them on. His face was pulled into a serious expression, as if about to barrel into a gunfight.

“Yukio?” Kohaku asked.

Yukio looked up. “Huh? Oh. Kohaku. Shido.” He brushed himself off one last time, then righted up. “Didn’t know you guys were comin’ here.”

“You’re out of your room,” Kohaku realized.

Yukio cleared his throat. “I...took advantage of the meetin’. I grabbed as much food as I could and got it to the hidden storage place in the forest.”

Shido was surprised. “You...still have hope?”

“Stop me if I start to sound like a Saturday show’s protagonist, but...my brother wouldn’t want me to give up. He would want me to keep goin’, no matter what. He would want me...to help all of you escape.”

“You make it sound like you aren’t going to escape yourself,” Kohaku pointed out.

“H-Honestly? I...don’t know if I will escape what this place has done to me. I don’t know where to go in the world without my brother. Our fame, our fans, our life...it’s just mine now. And they’re all not goin’ to feel right. I...I just don’t know. I’ll escape in body, but...never in spirit.”

Shido moved past Kohaku. Before she could stop him, he had both arms looped around Yukio in a hug. The Ultimate Gunner looked surprised at this show of affection.

“Then do something that your brother would want you to do,” Shido said. “Find a new profession? Okay. Let HEADSHOT continue to thrive? Even better. Just...do it in your brother’s name. If you honor him, that is when you can move on from his death.”

Yukio paused. “Sh...Shi-Shi...” He slowly hugged back. “Th...Thank you. I kinda need this.”

“If it helps, just say what you want to do out loud. You’ll be confirming to yourself what your goal is.”

Yukio stepped back a bit, clenching his fists. “I...I am Yukio Izo! The Ultimate Gunner! And I will continue HEADSHOT! Because that is what Yuji would want for me! HEADSHOT was our sweat and tears, and I will not let it die! I will use it to honor my brother! And I will do this when we get out of this hellhole and give Monokuma the greatest middle finger known to humanity!”

Shido grinned. “That’s it!”

Kohaku couldn’t stop the smile this time. Such a tiny exchange filled her heart with a weird warmth that had never been there before. It made her choke up a bit, and she clutched her chest as she made a small noise.

_ Ding dong, ding dong... _

_ “Ahem...This is a school announcement! It is now 10 PM, which means the rule of nighttime is in full affect. The dining hall will close in short time, and entering it is forbidden. Well, then! Goodnight! Have beary good dreams...” _

Kohaku looked up. “Nighttime...” she muttered.

Before she knew it, Yukio was hugging her gently. “G’night, Kohaku.”

Kohaku paused. “Um...G-Goodnight to you too, Hunter!”

Shido tilted his head. “So you’ll meet Hajime in the morning, right?”

“Huh...Oh, right. The new student.” Yukio nodded. “Yea, I’ll meet him in the mornin’. That’s fine.” He began to leave, waving. “Goodnight, guys.”

“Goodnight!” Kohaku made a grandiose wave, smiling really big. And this time, it felt rather real.

** _Weil Theater_ **

_ “Meeting new people is always a fun experience. Everybody has lived a different life, with different memories and different ideas of different words. For example, home to one person can be a tower, while to the other, it’s a city. And when you get to know these people, you get to know their different definitions. It’s like reading a book in a completely different POV! It’s very fun to just learn other peoples’ stories and realize how different every person is, in the end.” _


	49. Chapter 4-4: Being a Hero Makes You a Villain

_ Ding dong, ding dong... _

_ “Attention, everybody! It is now eight AM, which means it’s time to get up and embrace the morning! I hope you all have a spectacular day here in Monolith Valley Summer School!” _

Daytime has come upon Monolith Valley, bringing a new day. Kohaku has yet to solve the mystery of this school, but today, her heart was pulling her to something different. She didn’t really understand why, but she had the strangest feeling of wanting to hang out with others. Perhaps it was to gain their trust and find the mastermind? Yes, that had to be it. Nothing else.

Still, she wasn’t thinking at all about finding the mastermind when she began to roam around, looking for somebody to talk with. She just had the desire to just...talk. It was very, very weird.

When she entered the dining hall, she noticed Kyou waving goodbye to Daiki exiting. They seemed to have finished up their breakfast. Meanwhile, Akihiko was continuing to stuff his face with delicious but sugary breakfast foods in the back. She had no idea how he kept up the thin body.

Out of some sort of obligation, Kohaku walked over to Kyou. “Hey! Are ya busy?”

“Oh, Kohaku!” Kyou pushed his glasses up his face. “Not at all. I was about to head over to the skating rink to try and learn the techniques on the field. Care to join me?”

“Oh, sure! I wouldn’t mind going for a few circles on the roller rink!” Kohaku gave him a big smile. “Lead the way!”

Both of them headed up to the second floor. From there, they began to skate back and forth on the roller rink. While they didn’t hog it forever, they did spend a good hour or so going back and forth.

After a bit, both of them pulled off the roller skates and sat down on one of the benches to take a breather. Kyou seemed more exhausted than Kohaku, who quickly shrugged off the lethargy. But still, a strange feeling of enjoyment lingered in her gut. She hated it being there.

As for the gift she planned for Kyou, it was a fax machine. She had no idea how she carried it without a single pocket on her body. This specific fax machine was used to distribute a full-length novel based on what the world would look like if all of someone’s dreams came true.

Kyou looked pleasantly surprised when he was given the fax machine. “Oh! I haven’t seen one of these in years!”

“Eh? Fax machines are outdated? I’ve seen them all the time when I was a servant of the evil overlord Zarkon!”

Kyou paused in his inspection. “Who?”

“Tee hee hee! It’s a lie! That’s just a fictional character from a tv show I watched. So, what do you think?”

“It’s amazing! Antique, too! Thank you a lot, Kohaku!”

Kyou seemed interested in antiques. Kohaku could keep that in mind to give him optimal gifts from the Monomono Machine later on.

“Okay! I think I’ve got it, Kohaku!”

She blinked at Kyou. “Huh? Got what?”

“The setting for Shido’s grand performance! I like to call it...The Norihisa-Brand Waltz!”

Kohaku found herself cringing. “The...huh?”

“The name is a work in progress,” Kyou admitted. “But trust me, everything is set in stone! The lighting, seating arrangements...I even have an ideal place to rent out for this five-star spectacle!”

“Uh-huh...But you’re implying you seem to have a problem.”

Kyou laughed a bit nervously. “Ah, yes...you are right there. I...do not have the choreography.”

“That’s...usually something the dancers do themselves, right?” Kohaku guessed. “So why don’t you ask Shido to create a routine?”

“I would, but...Not only does he avoid me, I’ve never been able to catch him in the music room! It’s like he doesn’t even enter at all anymore!”

“Well, that is strange.” Kohaku pouted a bit. “He’s the Ultimate Dancer. Why wouldn’t he be in the music room?”

“That’s what I want to know,” Kyou replied. “But he seems to be able to sense whenever I want to talk about his performance, because when I do, he runs straight away from me!”

Kohaku couldn’t help but laugh a bit. “Maybe it’s cuz he just...doesn’t want to have a performance dedicated to him?”

“Nonsense! What kind of dancer would shy away from the spotlight?”

Still, she snickered. “So, what are you gonna do without the choreography?”

“That’s the problem: I can’t! I NEED that routine from him for a performance to even exist! Nobody wants to see the performer for the entire duration of the song!”

“You’ve already chosen a song for him to dance to?”

Kyou paused for a moment, then looked even more nervous. “Oh, no! I don’t have that either! I’ll be back to talk later! I really need to talk with Shido now!” Without warning, he bolted straight out of the roller rink as if his rear was on fire.

That was a rather amusing exchange of words. In fact, it was almost fun to listen to what Kyou had to say. However, it does still feel like they’ve gotten a bit closer today.

There were still some hours left in the day, so Kohaku decided to look for somebody else to...monitor. Or befriend. Whichever word that strange feeling in her gut liked more.

In the third floor science lab, Kohaku found Yuuki at a seat staring through a microscope. She couldn’t see exactly what he was looking at, but judging by a band-aid on his finger, he was studying his own blood.

Innocently, Kohaku approached. “Whatcha doing, Yuuki?”

Yuuki looked up. “Oh, Kohaku. Why did I have a feeling it was you creeping up on me like that?”

“You’re implying I’m some creepy stalker dude, and I’m not, man!”

He laughed gently in response. “I was just studying a blood sample of mine underneath a microscope I found. Perhaps if you willingly donate your own blood, I can compare a clone’s blood makeup to a normally born baby’s?”

Kohaku shivered. “Eugh. You sound so creepy when you say that.”

“Well?”

“Of COURSE I will! What am I, ignorant to the pursuit of science?”

Yuuki proceeded to gently slice open Kohaku’s ring finger with the small pocket knife he got from the boxes from each closet. He let the blood drip down onto a glass slide, then placed another slide on top, fully preparing the small blood specimen.

As he viewed that under the microscope, Kohaku pulled out her gift to him. It was called a radiosonde, a meteorological instrument that measures the temperature, humidity, and barometric pressure by shooting a balloon into the sky. Since Yuuki seemed to be fascinated by science, perhaps he would like this.

As he pulled back from the microscope, Kohaku held it out. “Here! For you, Yuuki!”

To her surprise, he identified it at a glance. “A radiosonde, hm? A crude, but efficient way of analyzing weather patterns.” He then smiled. “Perhaps I could use it to our personal advantage.”

“Hm?”

“Nothing. Thank you for this gift, Kohaku.”

Yuuki seemed quite pleased. While there did seem to be room for improvement, Kohaku feels that she’s done good for now.

The conversation quickly died down. Yuuki stood there awkwardly while staring quietly at Kohaku. She shifted back and forth on her feet in a bored manner, waiting for him to speak up first. It’s easier for her to flow with a discussion others start.

“Well?” Yuuki asked.

Kohaku blinked. “Eh? Well what?”

“You came to me,” he pointed out. “I believed that you would incur a topic we could debate on, but I guess not.”

“Well, I was just gonna go with what you wanted to talk about,” Kohaku admitted. “I’m not good with small talk.”

“Neither am I,” Yuuki replied. “My interaction abilities are severely limited. I was a test tube baby that accelerated into a teenage body with a highly intelligent mind, after all. Saying my social skills are stunted is an understatement.”

“So you barely know anything about social interaction?” Kohaku guessed.

Yuuki sighed in response. “You know it. I’m not exactly ‘hip with the kids’, even though the aforementioned kids are the generation I’m supposed to be coexisting with.”

“Well, then, why don’t you try talking to me?” Kohaku volunteered. “Speak whatever you want to talk about. I’m all ears!”

“Hm? Are you sure? I’m afraid I might bore you...”

“Oh, hit me with the whole textbook of boring shiz! It’s the process of getting better that counts!”

Yuuki smiled a bit. “A-Alright...Well, I do seem to show a preference to the study of human psychology.”

“Oh! You mean how we all have the capacity of evil and stuff like that?”

Yuuki’s face lit up. “Yes, of course! The human mind and behavior fascinates me to no end. If I wasn’t the Ultimate Clone, I would be happy to be the Ultimate Psychologist.”

“Hey, that’s good! You’ve found a passion! So you can start making small talk out of that!”

“Yes...Yes, I believe that can work.” Yuuki gave another genuine and soft smile. “Thank you for your advice, Kohaku. I believe I can be...hella bomb!”

And just like that, Kohaku’s elated mood was gone. “Never do that again.”

“Sorry. I think I need to work on my teen speak more.”

Yuuki was indeed incredibly awkward when it comes to talking to others. But what mattered was that he was trying to fix that. Kohaku knows for certain they’ve grown a little closer today.

The sun was beginning to dip behind the trees, casting a beautiful sunset over the area. Judging by that, Kohaku could probably visit one more person before it was declared nighttime.

While in her search, Kohaku came to the front of the school, the small clearing in front of the large entrance into the building. While Yukio was hanging out in a large tree nearby, Hiroko was seeming to inspect a rock from the ground.

Out of curiosity, Kohaku went to the latter. “Hey, Hiroko. What’s got you all scrunched up?”

Hiroko looked over. “Oh, Kohaku!” She lowered the rock. “I was looking to see if there were any minerals within these rocks. It’s probably nothing you’ll be interested in.”

“Nah!” Kohaku brushed it off. “I really have nothing better to do! Want me to help?”

She sighed, immediately giving in to the Ultimate Illusionist. It was almost funny to see her in such a meek manner. “I guess you can. I won’t stop you.”

With Hiroko being very reluctant to allow Kohaku along, the two began to hunt for shiny rocks within the dull ones. They had to give up the hunt as soon as it became darker. However, Kohaku felt she had...fun as she dug through dirt and vigorously rubbed small rocks to try and bring out any glimmer.

As it got darker, Kohaku decided to give Hiroko some oolong tea, which was an oxidized Chinese tea. Different flavors and fragrances can actually be created depending on the degree of oxidation, so it’s a really cool drink.

Kohaku held out the drink as Hiroko stopped rummaging through rocks. “Hey! Here you go!”

Hiroko paused and looked up. She stared confused at the outstretched bottle for a few moments. Then, it seemed to register that it was for her, because her face lit up a bit, and she took the bottle.

“Thank you,” she politely murmured before beginning to unscrew the top.

She didn’t seem that enthused for the tea. Either that, or Hiroko just didn’t seem enthused at all about Kohaku’s presence.

“So, let’s talk about you!” Kohaku decided with enthusiasm as Hiroko finished off the oolong tea.

Hiroko lowered the empty bottle, looking confused. “Hm?”

“We talked about my Ultimate Talent last time around. Now let’s talk about yours! You said that you study the occult, right?”

Hiroko paused for a moment before slowly nodding. “Yes. I do.”

“Well, then, elaborate! I wanna know all about you!”

The answer was immediate. “No. Absolutely not.”

Kohaku pouted. “Awww! But why?”

“Because if I speak about myself, I will show weakness to you. And knowing what kind of person you really are, you want to know my weaknesses. You will exploit me. I refuse to be exploited by somebody like you.”

Kohaku huffed. “You make it sound like I’m a lesser being than you, man. That ain’t fun at all.”

“I don’t care. I will not show any soft side to you, because then you will know where to strike me when the time comes.”

Kohaku paused. “Sorry, when?”

Hiroko glared in response. “Yes. When. I know you will betray us all eventually. Leave us to rot. You’re probably planning to take the boat and flee on your own with it.”

Kohaku suddenly grew alarmed. “Keep your voice down, lady! Monokuma could hear you!”

Hiroko suddenly closed her mouth, a hand over her lips. Both girls paused, looking around. When nothing happened, she slowly lowered her hand, exhaling a deep breath.

“You get my point,” she hissed. “I want nothing to do with you once your true nature is revealed to everyone.”

Kohaku merely glared at her. “You say that now, but just watch.”

Hiroko crossed her arms. “Are you saying you can somehow get on my good side?”

“Not somehow. I will get there. Just you wait, Hiro!” Kohaku giggled suddenly, and Hiroko jumped a bit from it. “As my duty as the most recent reincarnation of Buddha!”

The two girls were far from friendly terms. However, Hiroko has gotten a bit closer to Kohaku, whether she will admit it or not.

_ Ding dong, ding dong... _

_ “Ahem...This is a school announcement! It is now 10 PM, which means the rule of nighttime is in full affect. The dining hall will close in short time, and entering it is forbidden. Well, then! Goodnight! Have beary good dreams...” _

It was now nighttime, concluding another day within the confinements of Monolith Valley Summer School. And there was still no sign of escape, or to where that stupid jade key went. It was really beginning to bug her, just sitting in her drawer in her dorm room.

However, it wasn’t time to sweep the school again to look for the lock. Turning around, she began walking down the road to the electrified fence.

** _Weil Theater_ **

_ “Did you know that the Egyptians believed only the purest may pass on to the afterlife? Upon death, your heart would be weighed against a feather by the god Anubis. If it weighed less or equal to, you would be allowed into the afterlife. However, if it weighed more than the feather, you would be devoured by the goddess Ammit, and you would cease to exist entirely. And even before that, you had to recite forty-two otherworldly judges by name and speak of the sins you have not done. The Egyptians really valued purity and justice of self. We need more people that value morals above money these days.” _


	50. Chapter 4-5: Being a Hero Will Make You a Villain

Kohaku was already heading towards the game room at night. She had reserved a spot for the next meeting, but hadn't caught who else was attending with her. Whoever it was, she was surprisingly fine with.

Inside of the game room, a huge paper was being pulled out from the floorboards by Yukio crouching down. Yoshie was standing by dutifully, waiting for him to finish.

Kohaku cleared her throat, and both looked. “Hey, guys!” It has become significantly easier to speak in an elated tone. Perhaps she's become a better actor.

Yoshie smiled and waved. “Hello, Kohaku.”

Yukio finished pulling out the huge paper. “‘Ey, Haku! Guess that makes all three of us tonight, right?”

Kohaku watched as he put the paper onto a table. She could see a huge amount of notes and sketches of boats on them, detailed while supplies and foodstuffs were adequately labelled. She would be lying if she said that she wasn’t impressed.

Yukio was already scanning the notes. “Looks like we’ve already put in a day’s worth of food for ten to eleven people aside, already.”

“Ten...to eleven?” Yoshie questioned.

“We’re still not sure on Hajime’s allegiance, so it wouldn’t be wise to take chances and bring him along if we still haven’t determined it,” Yukio explained.

“Make it nine to eleven,” Kohaku explained, and both looked at her in a confused manner. “There could potentially be a traitor or even the mastermind amongst us, watching the crowd in the best way possible: by being a part of the crowd.”

“I’m unsure on that,” Yukio admitted.

“Yes, Yukio is correct. Even if we are Ultimates, a single high school student cannot seize an entire building belonging to Hope’s Peak and alter it to become a location for a killing game. It’s much more likely just a group of people.”

Yukio paused. “But...Kohaku does raise a good point. One of us could possibly be workin’ for Monokuma, but I hesitate to go to the extreme and say that they’re the mastermind of this whole thing. There isn’t really any evidence of that.”

Yoshie frowned. “Why was this brought up?”

Kohaku shrugged in return. “We were talking about trusting Hajime, so I just pitched my thoughts on a subject like that! No biggie!”

“K-Kohaku, do you...not trust us?” Yoshie questioned.

“Wh...No! I-It isn’t like that at all!” Kohaku tried to save face.

“But there’s no evidence supplementin’ that one of us is even a traitor for Monokuma,” Yukio pointed out. “I mean, everyone except Hajime knows of these meetin’s, and Monokuma doesn’t know.”

“And how do we know that?” Kohaku retorted. “What if he’s just waiting to pull the rug out from under us?”

“Kohaku, are you alright?” Yoshie asked.

“Yea...Yea, I’m fine.” Kohaku’s reply came quick and forced. “Let’s just continue on with the meeting.”

Yoshie frowned. “If...you need to talk, we are here for you.”

“A...Anyways, I’ll be observin’ the food quantity and quality, as it was agreed for me and Yuji to do,” Yukio slowly continued, but paused again. “Seein’ that...Yuji can’t do that anymore...I’ll be workin’ double.”

Yoshie leaned over the boat sketches. “I believe that we could start debating the construction of the ship. How do we go about it?”

“Well, we’re gonna use wood. Obviously.” Kohaku made a gesture in the air. “It’ll be easier to camouflage in the forest, and metal is much more difficult to find.”

Yukio pointed to sketches and notes on tools. “It seems that everyone’s been talkin’ about the tools. We can probably get them from the storage room.”

“We’re goin’ to specialize in axes and hatchets,” Kohaku pointed out. “Or at least some cutting tool that you can hide easily.”

“We should get shovels, too,” Yoshie added. “Digging up and using the stumps for wood is a better idea than just leaving them.

Yukio suddenly sighed, frowning. “I’m just hopin’ that this works.” He looked when Yoshie looked concerned at him. “W-Well...I mean, we have no idea if the lake is connected to somethin’ bigger.”

Kohaku paused. “No...No, we do! The lake has a tide!”

Yoshie paused. “Meaning...”

Yukio caught on. “If the lake is just that...a lake...the shore would be perfectly still save for ripples in the water. There would be no tide.”

“But because there is a tide, it’s connected to a different body of water, like a river or even an ocean!” Kohaku finished.

Yukio grinned. “No...It’s definitely an ocean! A river wouldn’t cause a tide in the lake!”

Yoshie paused. “So...it’s not a lake, but...”

“This isn’t Monolith Valley,” Kohaku declared. “Not the real one, at least. This is a copy on the shore of an ocean!”

“Then that explains it!” Yukio exclaimed. “Why no Hope’s Peak faculty is here, or why we haven’t been contacted or found yet!”

Yoshie paused. “Then...we never arrived at Monolith Valley Summer School at all, which means...People are definitely looking for us!”

“But this place is so well-hidden, they haven’t found us for two weeks or so,” Yukio realized. “But where can we be that’s on the ocean shore, but so far away from civilization?”

“And also, why all this effort?” Yoshie continued. “Why make an exact copy of the summer school? A normal, even one-floor building would have sufficed for their game, correct?”

“And finally, how did we get kidnapped?” Kohaku finished. “We all were on a bus that doesn’t belong to Hope’s Peak, right? Wouldn’t somebody have noticed sixteen students boarding a bus that isn’t going to Monolith Valley?”

“Don’t forget, we don’t remember boardin’ the bus,” Yukio pointed out. “We only woke up on it. Were we all rendered unconscious by our kidnappers?”

“So many questions, but no answers in sight...” Yoshie murmured. “But we discovered some knowledgeable things. We should share them with everybody tomorrow.”

“Not only that, we should start the main act!” Kohaku said. “Let’s start building the prototype boats at the lake shore!”

Yukio began to grin. “Yea...Yea! Let’s do it! We’re not gonna wait for Monokuma’s next bullshit motive much longer! We’re takin’ this game into our own hands!”

Yoshie smiled. “Then it is decided. Tomorrow...we will relocate our meetings to the lakeshore. And we shall begin the next stage of our escape.”


	51. Chapter 4-6: Being a Hero Makes You a Villain

_ Ding dong, ding dong... _

_ “Attention, everybody! It is now eight AM, which means it’s time to get up and embrace the morning! I hope you all have a spectacular day here in Monolith Valley Summer School!” _

Kohaku was long awake by the time the morning announcement came on. Already dressed, she hurried over as fast as possible to the dining hall. She and the others had to share with everyone what they figured out last night.

Kohaku was the first one to enter the dining hall. She just decided to grab food and wait for everybody else. They usually came soon after the morning announcement.

Sure enough, before long, everybody was in the dining hall, greeting each other and going to their friend groups, like Yuuki and Shido gravitating towards Kohaku and Kyou sticking by Daiki’s side and marvelling over his healthy diet and body. Even Hajime wasn’t left out, happily conversing with Akihiko over breakfast.

However, Kohaku looked over at Yukio. Once he noticed she was staring, she tilted her head. ‘Shall we?’

Yukio got the message and nodded. Pushing away his half-eaten breakfast, he proceeded to stand up on the table. Already, many of them were beginning to cease in their conversations, turning to look at him.

“Attention, everyone!” He called. “Last night, me and a few others in our group realized something very important! It is absolutely vital that you listen to what I have to say!”

So Yukio spoke, Kohaku and Yoshie nodding along and agreeing. He didn’t speak long, but instead got straight to the point of his message. It only took one minute at most for him to explain what they had figured out.

Hajime looked surprised. “This...is not the real Monolith Valley? It’s just some copy?”

Akio said, “Well, that was theorised in the beginning of our containment here, but...I never imagined that such a hypothesis could be true.”

“So we never arrived at Monolith Valley!” Daiki exclaimed. “Which means that people are definitely looking for us!”

Yoshie frowned. “However, it makes it clear that somehow, this place is so well-hidden that it cannot be found, even at the ocean shore.”

“B-But why all of the effort?” Shido asked. “Why would you make...a complete copy of Monolith Valley for a sadistic game of kill or be killed?”

“That’s not a question we can accurately answer at the moment,” Hajime replied. “We have no evidence supporting any possible theories on that case, do we?”

Kyou scowled. “No...nothing comes to mind on that.”

“Besides, don’t we need to focus less on the ‘why’, and more of the ‘where’?” Hajime added. “Finding out what coast we’re on would be some great knowledge to have.”

Hiroko nodded. “Hajime has a point. We could be anywhere in Japan, now.”

“Well, all we have to do is limit our options to coastal forests,” Kohaku pointed out. “From there, it would just be a process of elimination.”

“A map of Japan would do good here, but we don’t have any,” Daiki pointed out. “So we would just be inferencing on memory alone.”

“So that too isn’t a question we can answer at the moment,” Akihiko noted. “We’re just missing too much important information.”

“But for now, we have concluded that we never arrived to Monolith Valley,” Kyou said. “Therefore, people, and by extent Hope’s Peak, should be looking for us!”

“B-But they have no idea where to find us,” Shido pointed out. “They’ve definitely been looking for more than two weeks, now, r-right?”

“Should we, like...do something to grab their attention?” Akihiko asked.

Yuuki frowned. “Perhaps a large fire will do, but it will destroy the forest around us, and potentially entrap and kill us with the smoke or flames.”

“So you’re saying it is a last resort,” Yoshie said.

“Exactly. We should only proceed with it if no other option is available.”

“Well, that’s all we wanted to share,” Yukio said. “It doesn’t really change what’s goin’ on, but we felt that it was something you guys needed to know.”

Kohaku raised an eyebrow. He didn’t disclose their worries about a traitor. She was about to say something when she noticed Yoshie was signalling her to stay quiet, shaking his head at her.

So it was an agreement between the two. Paranoia wouldn’t help them at all, and suspicion would immediately go to Hajime. She could understand that.

Still, why was she hesitating? They needed to know the information she’s known the moment the game began. Why is she valuing their opinions over her way to play the game? Especially when it mattered most to make a choice?


	52. Chapter 4-7: Being a Hero Makes You a Villain

After the meeting, Kohaku decided that the day was still young. Significant progress has been made in their escape method. It wouldn’t hurt to get on the good side of the people she would be sailing to freedom with.

First, Kohaku sought out Akio. She found him in the campground area’s recreational section, knocking an arrow into a bow. He held still for several moments before releasing. She watched it whizz through the air and sink straight into the red target.

Akio smiled, lowering the bow. “It is always satisfying to hit a bullseye,” he commented to Kohaku.

She approached, feeling she had been given permission to. “Don’t know that feeling, but I bet you do really well.”

“Of course. I am the Ultimate Archer, after all.” He then turned his head to look over at her. “Would you like me to teach you the exhilaration? If you don’t mind, of course.”

“Aw, not at all! I bet archery is a really fun sport!”

Akio shook his head. “Not just fun. It requires a large amount of concentration and focus.” He held up his bow. “Here, let me show you.”

For a while after that, Akio taught Kohaku the basics of a bow, including the correct stance when holding it and the correct way to pull back the arrow. When she questioned how she could fight like this, Akio responded that only the most experienced archers could rapid fire arrows with deadly accuracy while on the move in a fight. For now, she would have to remain in a solid stance with her legs spread apart for a well-rounded balance.

As she fired the arrows one by one, she felt a rush of exhilaration. She didn’t know why, but having this much control over the arrows sinking in and around the target set her pulse racing. It made her desire to be good enough to move and roll while dispatching any enemies with the arrows.

Eventually, they took a break from all of the archery. Kohaku’s arms were getting sore, and Akio wanted to grab a quick drink of water to quench his parched throat. She sat down on the recreational section bench as he drained a plastic bottle of its water.

As he did so, Kohaku surveyed the presents she could give him. One seemed to be some sort of sacred tree sprig, a branch from a what was called a sakaki tree. It was commonly used in Shinto rituals, and it is said to serve as a connection between humans and the gods. Akio didn’t seem like a religious person, but this item did have some noble prestige to it.

Kohaku took out the tree sprig. “Hey, Akio? What do you think of this sakaki tree branch?”

Akio looked over. “Oh! Well, it is quite pretty. And I heard they are very sacred, therefore valuable. I wouldn’t mind having a tree branch like that myself.”

“Oh! Well, that’s good, because I was considering giving it to you.” On cue, Kohaku held it out to him.

Akio immediately took it, smiling with glee. “How thoughtful of you! I love it already.”

Akio seemed very pleased with the gift. Kohaku felt almost glad that she got it dead on, but she wouldn’t go as far as to involve emotion.

“So, Kohaku? Do you mind if I ask about your upbringing?” Akio inspected his nails.

Kohaku blinked out of temporary surprise. “Oh, of course! I was born out of sea foam alongside the legendary goddess Aphrodite!”

Akio seemed only mildly intrigued. “Oh, really? I was raised in the prestigious Bussho lineage, and given only the best of pampering and luxuries.”

Kohaku tilted her head. “You actually have a non-angsty background?”

Akio laughed. “Yes, it seems everybody else has a dark past. I just found a niche for the bow and arrow when I was a child. And my parents supported me throughout it, so I really have no...parental issues, either.”

“But you’re part of the noble class,” Kohaku pointed out. “They really didn’t mind letting you get your hands dirty?”

“No, not at all!” Akio smiled. “They were more than happy to see me become interested in a hobby. They funded all of my archery classes, and supported me at my lowest lows! And when we got the application to Hope’s Peak Academy, they were ecstatic for me.” He sighed a bit. “I owe them much.”

“Well, that’s a bit jarring,” Kohaku admitted. “You just like archery? No pressure to do it? No hidden hate for your Ultimate talent?”

“Huh?” Akio seemed confused. “No, not at all. Why would I have some?”

“I just find it really surprising that...you know, no angsty starting story! I thought every great person had one.”

“Well, then. I hope you can remember this: not everybody is pushed by negative emotions to achieve great things. Sometimes, all they need is positive support from friends and family to achieve dreams they never thought possible!”

Kohaku gave an odd smile, not really knowing what to say. “Yea...You have a point I guess. Sorry for assuming the worst.”

“Oh, it’s quite alright. I’m happy to have talked about my family.”

It was really sweet to see Akio gush about his family like this. It seemed he was right: not everyone was fueled by anger or self-hatred to do things. From the conversation, she could feel that they’ve gotten a bit closer to each other.

The day was still young, so Kohaku had a feeling she could still talk to others with time to spare. On a split-second decision, she decided to check in with Hiroko again.

She found the Ultimate Mage by the lake at the campgrounds. She was kneeling in front of the water, testing the small tide with her hand. She looked nervous about something.

Kohaku stepped up to her, leaving footprints in the sand. “Hey, Hiro!” She called. “What’s with the sour expression?”

Hiroko looked up. “Hm. Hello, Kohaku. I was trying to reach out and feel any magic properties within these waters. But I don’t even feel a blink of life.”

Kohaku decided to ignore the arcane preachings and instead smiled. “Oh, cool. You wanna hang out or what?”

Hiroko grimaced even more. “Do I have a choice...?”

Whether Hiroko liked it or not, Kohaku continued to sit next to her as she tested the waters. The Ultimate Illusionist said nothing, only stared as ripples were made in the lake by Hiroko’s fingers. It seemed almost peaceful, the complete lack of noise around them.

As Hiroko was lost to her own world for a few minutes, Kohaku pulled out a rather large fan. It was an ancient fan that had been passed down since the Heian Period. Apparently, those who possess it will be able to speak with ghosts. Kohaku’s never tried it, but she wondered if someone as spiritual as Hiroko would like it.

Kohaku folded up the fan and held it out to her. “Hey, Hiro! Want this?”

Hiroko looked over. Once again, she hesitated before taking the present. “...Thank you.” Once again, just an obliged thank you.

It was hard to tell whether Hiroko liked it or not. It almost frustrated Kohaku, the way she did not show her emotions at all. But she won’t be beaten in her own game of emotional manipulations.

Hiroko turned her head away. “...Why?”

Kohaku tilted her head. “Hm? Why not?”

“Why do you keep trying to befriend me when I know of your true nature? You will not be able to trick me anymore.”

Kohaku giggled eerily. “You’ll be surprised what the human mind would do. As long as I do not physically harm you, and instead give you gifts, I’m already encouraging your brain to give you a small boost of dopamine whenever I want to talk.”

Hiroko frowned. “Meaning?”

“The more I visit you, the happier you are go see me, whether you like me or not!”

Hiroko merely scowled. “Is that really how it works?”

Kohaku grinned in response. “Do you have a way of identifying what I say as the truth or a lie?”

“Well, no,” Hiroko admitted. “So I guess I indeed have to take your words as the truth...for now.” However, she did smile. “But that does leave you open to me.”

At that, Kohaku actually paused. “Hm?”

“The more you visit me to keep me in control, the more chances I have at unveiling your true motives.” Hiroko placed a hand to her lips with a coy smile. “You are a very complex person. So am I.”

Kohaku huffed, as if Hiroko just beat her to the last donut. “Yea, right. I don’t think I can take you seriously enough to consider you as a threat to my goal.”

“Really? I believe you have the capability of emotion, deep down. I’m just waiting for you to begin chasing after it.”

“Then keep chasing,” Kohaku snarked. “I’ll wait.”

Hiroko has now officially established herself as an opponent to Kohaku. However, shs could barely take such a strange lady seriously. Besides, they still got a bit closer today, so Kohaku got what she wanted: her main enemy within the student body closer to her.

While the day was beginning to end, there was still time to talk to somebody else. And there was one person in particular Kohaku had yet to really get to know. So she set off to the chapel on the third floor to find him.

Yoshie was right where Kohaku expected him to be. He was sitting in one of the pews in the indoor chapel, reaching the book from the podium. However, he closed it as soon as Kohaku approached.

He looked up at her and smiled. “Hello, Kohaku,” he greeted in his soft voice. “What brings you here?”

“Aw, nothing!” Kohaku flinched when her voice echoed, and she lowered her tone a bit. “I just wanted to hang out with you for a bit.”

“Oh, of course.” Yoshie set aside the book. “Come, sit down. I can teach you all you wish to know about Luflority, if you so desire.”

For the next hour or so, Yoshie began to preach about self-love and respect that the goddess Minoa taught to her disciples. As he talked, Kohaku wondered about the name of the goddess, swearing that she’s heard it once before, beyond Luflority.

As he began to wrap up his speech, Kohaku pulled up a glimmering ladybug brooch. It was cute, fashionable, and resembled a seven-spotted ladybug. Despite how realistic it looked, it was not alive. But it could be something Yoshie liked.

Yoshie noticed the brooch. “Oh. For me, or for the goddess?”

“For you, silly!” Kohaku laughed. “I just wanna be nice and offer you a gift!”

“Why, thank you! It’s so beautiful!” Yoshie took the brooch and clasped it in his hands. “Oh, I will treasure this forever, Kohaku!”

Yoshie seemed to extremely enjoy the gift. To him, Kohaku seems to have gone above and beyond. And that smile on his face made Kohaku’s chest feel weird, but she was able to quickly shrug it off.

However, as he put away the brooch, his smile vanished. It seemed he was thinking about something unpleasant.

“What’s wrong?” Kohaku asked.

“Hm?” Yoshie blinked. “Oh. Nothing. I was just...Thinking about things.”

“Do you mind if I ask what those things are?” Kohaku pressed on.

Yoshie laughed nervously. “Oh, I don’t think they would put you in a good mood! It’s...really not the best thing to speak about.”

“Aw, come on! You can trust me, right?”

Yoshie visibly flinched at that. “T-Trust...”

As he hugged his arms close, Kohaku’s frown deepened. “Is everything alright?” Shs asked in a worried tone before she could stop it.

“Yes, I...I do not believe I can will myself to tell you this fully, but...I do not believe I had the best parents.”

Kohaku scoffed. “Nobody does. Kids always wish for better parents at times.”

“No, you...you don’t understand, then. My parents were...” Yoshie began to shake. “W-Were...”

Now Kohaku began to get extremely worried. “H-Hey! If you can’t talk about it, we can drop the subject! I promise I won’t ever ask again!”

Slowly, Yoshie began to relax. “Th...Thank you. I believe I was about to break down right then and there. You can say that...if I had happy memories of my parents, I’ve forgotten them in place of the bad ones.”

“I see...” Kohaku nodded. “I’m sorry to have ever brought it up, then.”

“No, it’s alright. You didn’t know. However, can you...leave me be, now? I need to reestablish my faith in the goddess to keep myself from...drawing blood.”

Holy shit! Was Yoshie actually suicidal?! Kohaku blinked in surprise. You could never tell by a first glance. But at the same time...that could explain his timid behavior.

Seeing that Luflority was his designated comfort zone, Kohaku nodded. “Aight. I’ll leave you be.”

“Thank you, Kohaku. I promise...I’ll try and will up the courage to admit to you in full what I mean by the bad memories.”

Yoshie seemed like a very intriguing, but surprisingly unstable character to Kohaku. It was good to know any exploits if he turned out to be the mastermind, and he had just handed her the gold mine on a silver platter. She also feels that they’ve gotten a bit closer today.

_ Ding dong, ding dong... _

_ “Ahem...This is a school announcement! It is now 10 PM, which means the rule of nighttime is in full affect. The dining hall will close in short time, and entering it is forbidden. Well, then! Goodnight! Have beary good dreams...” _

The nighttime announcement. Which means it was time to visit Nagito while everybody else went to bed. Hopefully, there will be no unforeseen interruptions...

** _Weil Theater_ **

_ “I’ve heard of a place called school. It’s where you go to learn things. My question is, why do they teach the students so many things that they will never use? Math, science, social studies...The careers most students choose don’t involve the complicated methods of solving they are taught. However, the fact that the school systen was created in a time where creativity was stifled so children would become laborers sort of explains it all...” _


	53. Chapter 4-8: Being a Hero Makes You a Villain

_ Ding dong, ding dong... _

_ “Attention, everybody! It is now eight AM, which means it’s time to get up and embrace the morning! I hope you all have a spectacular day here in Monolith Valley Summer School!” _

Another calm(?) day in the summer school. As always, it could potentially be her last. Kohaku didn’t let it bother her, instead grateful to herself that she wasn’t murdered in bed.

As she finished pulling on her clothes for the day, there was a knock at the door. Kohaku paused, looking confused. Not many people visit her while she’s in her room.

When she opened the door, Kyou was standing there. “Kohaku!” He was grinning as if he had won the lottery. “I hope you had a very good sleep!”

“Oh. Moral Compass? What’s the occasion, buddy?” Kohaku adopted her bubbly demeanor for the day.

“I would like you to come to the dining hall, if you can! It is of the utmost importance!”

Kohaku looked surprised. “Why? Did something happen?”

“Oh, just come along!” Kyou walked off with a bounce in his step.

What was up with him? He is significantly happier than he’s ever been. As if he’s been blessed with good luck. Did something good finally happen within these school walls?

As Kohaku stepped out into the hall, she found herself pausing. Turning, she looked up at the doors, face falling a bit. There were so many doors with no plaques anymore. Their contents had been emptied out after the individual deaths of everybody in there. And to show complete disregard, a plaque for Hajime was now on what used to be Takehiko’s door. It made a weird twist in her gut that made her want to cry.

Why did she care? She didn’t ever care for Takehiko. It was all an act to throw off any potential traitor or mastermind.

Why is she saying potential? She’s always believed firmly there was at least one person lying about their allegiance to everyone. But now she was considering there not being any? What was wrong with her?

Kohaku tried to shake it off as she entered the dining hall, and slipped on her cheery mask. She could think about it later. Right now, there was an important meeting in place.

Everybody was already there, and most of them just looked plain confused. However, Daiki had the exact same aura of happiness as Kyou did. While he was sitting, Kohaku could visibly see his foot bouncing up and down from excitement.

“I’m glad everybody could come!” Kyou said in happiness.

“You dragged us out of our rooms the moment the mornin’ announcement went off,” Yukio remarked. “We had no choice.”

“So?” Hajime asked. “What’s the occasion?”

“Did something happen while we were asleep?” Yoshie asked in a nervous tone.

Yuuki glanced around. “No...I doubt it. Everybody is accounted for.”

“Oh, no! This has nothing to do with the killing game! This is more on a...personal affair.”

Akio cocked up an eyebrow. “A personal matter?”

Kyou smiled really wide, and a bright blush occurred on his face. “Daiki and I have engaged in a romantic rendezvous!”

“...Huh?” Akihiko asked.

“He means a date,” Yuuki remarked.

Yukio frowned. “That’s what you pulled us all here for?”

Hiroko, however, was elated. “Oh! How did it go? Was it well?”

Kyou sighed dreamily. “It was as perfect as perfect can be defined! Last night’s sky was beautiful! We had taken a nighttime walk around the summer school, and at the end...I had my first ever kiss under the moonlight!”

Kohaku froze, and Shido’s eyes went to her in worry. She shook her head, and he relaxed a bit. They had been very close to seeing her visit Nagito. She had no idea that they were so close!

Kyou didn’t notice her change in expression as he swooned. “Such a beautiful evening and suitor...”

Daiki’s face was red as he scratched his neck. “Eh...heh...Th-Thank you...”

Akio paused, looking baffled. “You have...chased after love, even while trapped here?”

“Why, of course!” Kyou replied. “Any sense of normalcy is good in this place, right?”

Yukio nodded. “He does have a point, you know.”

Yoshie then smiled. “Ah! That gives me a good idea! Perhaps we should all-!”

His pitch for normalcy within these walls was put on hold when all of a sudden, Monokuma appeared on the table. “Ah, normalcy! Something the ultimates of the world strive for!”

Akihiko jumped back, half of a carrot in his mouth. “Guuuuck!”

As the poor Ultimate Knight began to choke, forcing the bits out of his lungs, Hajime stepped back. “M-Monokuma!”

Monokuma chuckled. “Well, well! Young love blossoms under the confinements of reality and despair! That’s something anybody should strive to be like!”

“What do you want now, you two-faced plushie?!” Yukio got up, balling his hands into fists.

Akihiko spat out the carrot pieces, then raised his fists as well. “I-If you wanna fight, we can fight, bear!”

“D-Don’t pick a fight with the headmaster!” Kyou yelped. “He could easily execute you both!”

Akihiko immediately lowered his fists. “Eh, he has a point.”

Monokuma scowled. “Grr...You’re lucky you have an Ultimate Organizer to keep you numbskulls in line! Haven’t I warned you that violence against the school headmaster can and will result in punishment? Geesh, you kids never learn, do ya!”

“Well, wh-what is it?” Shido asked. “What do you need?”

Monokuma tilted his head. “Hm? What I need? Oh, a massage sounds really good about now! And a bath with scented candles really would unwind my tense stuffing!”

Kohaku frowned. “May you please get to the point?”

“Okay, okay! Don’t rush your elders! The reason I came here now...is to give you all some good reading material for the day! Food for thought, so to say!”

“It’s a motive!” Hiroko realized immediately. “Monokuma’s giving us another one of this manipulative tricks!”

“Wow! Ding ding ding! You’re a really smart cookie there, Ms. Nariakira!” Monokuma laughed. “Indeed! This is another one of my favorite tools in a killing game!”

Hajime looked baffled. “The heck is a motive?”

“What causes us to turn against each other and take innocent lives,” Yoshie answered.

Instead of being shocked, Yuuki looked irritated. “Oh, stop.”

Monokuma paused. “Oh?”

“You do not understand, do you? It was just shown in us talking not as friends, but as close comrades. We have grown closer with every death you caused. And now we can readily refuse your motive, whatever it is.”

Akihiko grinned. “Yea! What Yuuki said!”

Yukio pumped his fists. “We’ll rather take his side than believe we’ll deal harm to each other again!”

Still, Monokuma shook his head. “Well, even if you feel that way, it took a while for me to collect all of this really juicy information! I just have to share it!”

Daiki paused. “Juicy...information? That sounds like...secrets!”

“H-Hey, now!” Yoshie exclaimed. “Have you been prying into our private lives, Monokuma!”

Instead of answering, Monokuma pulled out a stack of papers. All of them had, in black ink, a student’s name written on the back. Kohaku could visibly see one with her name on it within the stack.

“Dun dun dun! Here you go! A random, anonymous secret for each of you from a randomly selected classmate!” Monokuma began to pass them out. “Please, no need to thank me! The contents will entertain you enough!”

All of the eleven students were silent at first, taking the papers. They began to unfold them, looking around at each other’s reactions.

Kohaku stared at the contents of her paper. Monokuma was right. This was completely anonymous. There was no indication of who this could possibly be.

_ “Somebody here has a family member that is deeply connected to Monolith Valley Summer School’s secrets.” _

Hajime. This was Hajime’s secret. And Kohaku had a funny feeling that she did not get Hajime’s secret by pure coincidence. It was Monokuma’s way of telling her ‘You’re right.’

Akio suddenly yelped. “Th-This is...!”

Yukio was paling. “What...what is this crap?! Who could be hidin’ somethin’ like THIS from us?!”

Monokuma laughed. “That’s your motive, everyone! Every one of you has the deepest secret of one of your fellow classmates! How will it fuel a murder, you wonder? I guess you’ll have to wait and see!”

“No...th-this has to be a lie!” Shido whimpered.

“There’s...no possible way these so-called ‘secrets’ can be real in any way or form!” Akio screamed.

Monokuma huffed. “I assure you, these secrets are 100% factual in every bit! You all just have no way of knowing whose secret it is, that’s all! Puhuhuhuhu...Good luck finding out who!”

As Monokuma dipped away, Yukio gulped. “Somebody...here...”

Yoshie smiled. “Well? The good news is Shido’s deepest secret isn’t one we must worry about.”

Shido looked up. “H-Huh?”

“The secret I obtained follows...’Somebody here has deep regrets of every death that occurred in this school by their actions.’ I bet that is Shido, as he had solved our first two class trials, then directly participated in a third.”

Akio paused. “That is, um...Very smart of you, Yoshie.”

Yoshie blushed a bit. “Ah, thank you!”

Shido sniffled a bit. “Um...W-Well...they were by my-”

“Oh, shut up!”

In a single swing, Hiroko had pulled Shido into a loving hug, pressing his head against her chest. Shido’s eyes grew wide, tears and blushing on his face.

Kyou looked shocked. “Hiroko! Y-Your fear!”

“I do not care!” She retorted. “Shido, none of what had happened was your fault! Not a single one of the murders was an event that you could have controlled!”

“But...Tamotsu...”

“Tamotsu could have possibly perished either way, whether you accepted his offer or not. Honestly, I feel as if you could have potentially been forced into it, as Tamotsu was slipping over the deep end.” Hiroko gripped Shido by the face. “Nothing is your fault whatsoever. Stop speaking as it is.” To emphasis her point, she gave Shido a light slap on the cheek, making him cringe a bit.

“H-Hiroko...” he whimpered before beginning to sob.

Hiroko pulled him into another, more tender hug. “It’s okay. We’re here for you.”

Akihiko found himself smiling. “Hiroko has allowed herself to come a long way...”

The Ultimate Mage lifted her head. “Ahem...May we both be excused?”

Daiki gestured politely towards the door. “You’re excused.”

Both of them immediately left the room. Kohaku watched Hiroko immediately let go of Shido, shuddering a bit involuntarily. It seems that no matter what, her fear persists.

Daiki tried to retain stability. “N-Now, everyone. Let’s not let these little pieces of information get to us. Monokuma could be lying!”

“Monokuma doesn’t lie,” Kohaku pointed out. “He uses exact words. How could he twist this?”

“Then...l-let’s just share ours?”

Yukio clutched the paper almost protectively. “Wh-What if I show mine to the wrong person? Somethin’ like this...no joke, I could be killed for knowin’ this!”

“Yukio, please-”

“No, just...just let me keep this secret! I don’t want to...not yet.” Yukio’s body shook, and he gasped a bit, making Kohaku frown in sympathy. He was still shaken up by Yuji’s death, and unable to fully recover from it. She could tell.

Daiki looked at the worry on Yukio’s face. “O...Okay. Alright, Yukio. Just speak when you’re comfortable.”

Yuuki only cleared his throat. “‘Somebody here is putting on an act for us all, hiding their true thoughts.’”

Ah, shit.

Chaos erupted at once. Everybody looked at each other, and names were thrown back and forth, eyes wide in worry. Kyou grabbed Daiki’s arm to try and get safety from him, and Yukio stepped towards the door, shaking becoming more violent now.

Yoshie tried to raise his hands. “E-Everyone! Please! All of this is a lie! It must be! We cannot turn on each other!”

“Hey! Hey!” Hajime began to clap to try and get everyone’s attention. The commotion died down, and he sighed in relief. “It's obvious that...we need to do something. Not murder! But...something!”

Akio paused. “B-But...what?”

“I don’t know! Anything to stop everyone from yelling at each other like this!” Hajime snapped his fingers. “Come on, come on, think think think...”

“Extra security?” Kohaku mentioned.

Hajime grinned. “Yes! We should patrol at night! That way, it isn’t just Daiki! It’s all of us!”

Akio paused. “But wouldn’t that interrupt our...gaming sessions?”

“Slow down, not interrupt,” Hajime said. “Anything to prevent another murder.”

Akio nodded. “I shall agree to this, then.”

Daiki slowly did the same. “Yea...sounds good.”

“What...what games should we play tonight?” Kyou shakily asked. “I was thinking some puzzles.”

“M-Maybe some survivalist games?”

“I...I would like to perform that arcade game with the zombies in the chapel...”

“That sounds n-nice.”

“Yea...That’s fine.” Yukio’s voice was close to breaking into tears.


	54. Chapter 4-9: Being a Hero Makes You a Villain

Everybody had scattered after the huge blowout in the dining hall. Nobody seemed to want to talk to each other, either. Yoshie had immediately retreated to the chapel, even locking the door behind him. A few of them had gone to the campsite, either to proceed in the hidden boat building, or just to hide out there from everyone.

Kohaku was looking for Hajime. She knew that he knew much more than he let on. She could tell just from day one, to be honest. And somehow...she had a feeling that she could trust him the most out of everybody here.

She found him just outside the summer school, sitting on the steps and staring at his shoes. He was tossing a rock up and down in his hands, not focusing on the world around him.

“Hey, Haji!” Kohaku called, making him drop the rock out of being startled. “What’s new?”

Hajime turned. “K-Kohaku! Don’t scare me like that, please.”

“Ah. Sorry, buddy.” Kohaku sat down next to him on the steps. “Mind if I talk to you ‘bout something?”

Hajime blinked a few times. “Um...Yea. What is it?”

Kohaku clasped her hand in Hajime’s. At first, he recoiled, a bit off-put by the physical touch. However, he felt the cold outline of the key pressing into his palm. He paused, then arched his hand to be able to see the jade key in his hand now, still being grasped by Kohaku.

Immediately, his eyes went wide. “Where did you find this?”

“I know for a fact that Hope didn’t just ‘disappear’,” Kohaku said in a whisper. “He’s sitting right next to me, isn’t he?”

Now Hajime was looking directly at her, eyes wide with fear. “What-are you accusing me-”

“I know that you’re Hope, Hajime. You did a good job in attempting to hide it, but you can’t hide things from the Ultimate Illusionist.”

Hajime looked downwards, giving a dry and bitter chuckle. “No, I...I guess you can’t.”

Kohaku gripped his hand tighter. “I’m not going to tell anyone. Neither of us would gain anything from it. All I want to know is everything you know, both about this school and this key.”

Hajime released his hand, and Kohaku gripped the key close to her again. He slowly leaned forward, staring up at the sky. His face contorted as if he had tasted something vile.

“Well...for one...this is still Monolith Valley.”

Kohaku paused. “What?”

“Yea. This is still Monolith Valley. There’s no other one.”

“But...we’re at the ocean shore.”

“Why would your kidnappers make a completely different building that’s exactly the same as your destination? Believe me. I have no reason to lie. After all, I was recently demoted from counselor status, and put into a more dangerous position.”

As Hajime shrugged, Kohaku pondered this. “So we’re still on the ocean shore, but still in Monolith Valley...we all just thought it was inland.”

“Nope.” Hajime looked up again. “And that’s all I can currently say on that matter.”

Kohaku looked at him, glaring a bit. “Okay, what else? Who’s the mastermind?”

“I...” Hajime paused. “Even I don’t know. Not one counselor has ever known the face behind Monokuma. All we were given was...a directive.”

“From Hope’s Peak?”

“No...Hope’s Peak has absolutely no power in Monolith Valley. We were told to do this by other upper powers.”

“Insurrection’s Abyss?”

“No. You wouldn’t know them.” Hajime leaned back a bit. “All of us are siblings. Akane, Kazuichi, Sonia, Fuyuhiko, me, and two others. Both brothers.”

“Nagito and...who else?”

Hajime sat up again, crossing his legs. “Not important to your questions.”

Kohaku returned to staring at her legs. “True, I guess.”

“Now, you want to know about the key. But I have to tell you...use it as a  _ last resort. _ Monokuma will know the moment you use it, so you have to make it count.”

Kohaku nodded. “Alright. What is it?”

Hajime leaned in and whispered into Kohaku’s ear. She didn’t let her outward expression betray her. Instead, she raised an eyebrow in interest, nodding. On the inside, her jaw nearly hit the floor.

When Hajime pulled away, she relaxed a bit. “So it’s to that...” she murmured. “I should have guessed, seeing the secrecy of the key.”

Hajime suddenly gripped her arm. “I’m going to tell you again. You have to plan every inch of it out. Once you use that key, there is absolutely no going back.”

“Bold of you to assume I was ever planning on going back,” Kohaku replied. “But I get your message. I’ll be extremely careful.”

Hajime nodded again. “Good. Just keep that in mind until then.”

Kohaku stood up. Giving Hajime a quick goodbye, she let him return to tossing around the rock in his hands. However, she knew that both of them were probably too preoccupied with their thoughts from the interaction to focus on toying around.

For the rest of the day, Kohaku couldn’t focus on anything. Both her body and her mind begged her to use the key. The only thing keeping her from lunging at that lock was Hajime’s warning and the security cameras in every room she went.

Monokuma was tracking every bit of her movements. In order to get into her answers, she had to have a distraction for Monokuma. Something, anything that would draw him out and keep him preoccupied while she found the answers to Monolith Valley Summer School.

But who could be a distraction? Hajime was an obvious option, but at the same time, too convenient. She had to remember that he was still a counselor. He could probably simply sell her out to Monokuma, and it would be game over.

Shido was the second-best option, and honestly, most trustworthy. He could keep anybody distracted long enough if he played on his sweet and shy behavior. And plus, he would do anything for her. He may be a bad liar, but at least he was easy to order to keep a secret.

Either Shido or Hajime would be an adequate distraction. It just boiled down to who she trusted more in this environment.

But then again, Hajime said she could only do this as a last resort. He put quite the emphasis on those words. He was very serious about this being only one chance that she could never have a do-over in.

_ Ding dong, ding dong... _

_ “Ahem...This is a school announcement! It is now 10 PM, which means the rule of nighttime is in full affect. The dining hall will close in short time, and entering it is forbidden. Well, then! Goodnight! Have beary good dreams...” _

Nighttime? Kohaku had gotten extremely caught up in her thoughts, then. She could deal with this in the morning. Right now, she had Nagito to visit.

Should she invite Hajime next time? Well, only if she felt if it was the right thing to do.

** _Weil Theater_ **

_ “Why is it that in the novels even today, it is always the person of color or queerness to die first? Does the author see them as a lesser being, more expendable than the rest? I think it’s unfair. I mean, everyone has the right to die in a novel about war. I just want them to have equal rights in suffering and dying. Suffering and dying should be unlimited and to all groups, not just the one the author hates. If the author does the latter, then it isn’t a novel. It’s just a hate pamphlet.” _


	55. Chapter 4-10: Being a Hero Makes You a Villain

_ Ding dong, ding dong... _

_ “Attention, everybody! It is now eight AM, which means it’s time to get up and embrace the morning! I hope you all have a spectacular day here in Monolith Valley Summer School!” _

Kohaku barely paid attention to the morning announcements anymore. They felt dull and drab now, a regular part of a life of clockwork with the gears oiled by tears and blood.

She hasn’t been keeping track of the days anymore. How long has it been? Two weeks? Three? Maybe even a month? She didn’t know, and a deep part of her just said that she didn’t care.

It was all the same, wasn’t it? Wake up, talk to friends, sleep. Wake up, find a body, solve a class trial, watch another friend die in an inhumane way. It was all a routine now. It made her sick to the core.

Kohaku sat at the edge of her bed, rubbing her forehead. Everything has just been so...tiresome lately. All of these reveals, these mysteries...she wouldn’t be lying if she said that they’ve been getting to her, and not in a good way. She could feel in the air that a lot of the other students felt the same way, in the end.

Getting up, Kohaku finished pulling on her clothes. Enough of the melodramatic shiz. Time to put on the mask of obliviousness and stupidity that felt less like a mask and more like just makeup these days.

Kohaku’s first stop of the day was the dining hall. There, she’ll just pick up breakfast for the day, and try to continue integrating herself into friend groups to stake out any possible traitor. They may not know it, but they were counting on her.

Why was she thinking of everyone else in this situation? It’s always been about her and her drive to uncover the truth. She’s been acting so weird lately!

Inside of the dining hall, Daiki and Kyou were eating together, the former having an arm pulling the latter into his chest. Akio and Shido were talking about something probably involving a beauty routine, judging by the way Shido gestured to his winged eyeliner every now and then. Hiroko was playing third wheel, having some input occasionally. Everybody else was mostly scattered in the dining hall. However, she noticed that not all people have arrived, yet. Yoshie and Hajime were not present.

Kohaku walked up. “Ey, guys!”

Hiroko looked up and smiled. “Ah. Hello, Kohaku.”

The Ultimate Illusionist sat down, not yet going to grab food. “How did last night go?”

“The meeting was without a hitch!” Kyou declared. “We moved outside after growing bored of the games, and hung out at the campsite! We found ourselves fooling around a bit with the recreational weapons there!”

Kohaku got the message. Wood collecting for the boat has begun. Somehow, she smiled at such a thing. Maybe it would actually come to be.

Yukio nodded. “Yea, and we brought snacks, too! What? We got hungry! But it did fill us up good, though not all the way.”

The food storage hidden in the forest was close to being finished already. However, it still needed more to it. That was good news, too.

Kohaku actually found herself liking this idea. All of the students, sans Hajime, were cooperating on it extremely well. And their planning for it was actually very solid. Perhaps this boat escape could work after all. She just had to weed out any traitors before then.

The door creaked open, and Hajime walked in, stifling a yawn. “Hey, guys.”

“Hello, Hajime!” Akio called. “How did you sleep?”

“Mm...Well, but not enough.”

Akio nodded. “Yes, you stayed up quite late with Daiki while you were patrolling the school.”

Kohaku looked surprised. “Oh. So we put that in motion?”

Hajime nodded. “Yea. We thought it was the best way to prevent a murder from the whole secret paranoia. Daiki, Akio, and I watched over the school while the...hangout between Kyou, Yoshie, and Yukio went on outside.”

There was a pause. Kohaku didn’t like that pause. Did he know? Did he deserve to know?

“S-So?” Shido asked. “Anything suspicious?”

“No,” Daiki answered. “Nothing odd. The meeting ended, and Yoshie went into the chapel to pray on his own. He locked the door on us and everything.”

“So we stayed up a bit longer than we thought to make sure that nothing happened,” Akio continued. “All of us were up at least until 1:00 before going to sleep for the night.”

“Speaking of, where is he?” Akihiko asked.

“Maybe he fell asleep in the chapel by accident,” Hiroko reasoned. “He did stay up quite late.”

“No holy man would sleep in the midst of prayers!” Kyou pointed out. “Is that not sacrilege?”

“I think you’re just exaggerating it...” Yuuki muttered. “But nobody has seen Yoshie since last night?”

“No,” Yukio answered. “We ended the meetin’ and left, so I think Kyou and I were the last to see him.”

Akio frowned. “I saw him enter the chapel, but lock the door so he could be alone.”

“He probably did pray himself to sleep, then,” Daiki theorized. “Should we go wake him up?”

“I can go!” Kohaku volunteered, ignoring that it was because of the bad feeling brewing in the depths of her gut.

“So can I,” Hajime volunteered. “Shido, do you want to come with?”

Shido looked surprised. “Oh! U-Um, okay.”

Kohaku saw Hajime’s logic. Three people needed to see a body before the announcement. But there’s no way that something like THAT happened to Yoshie...right?

On the third floor, the bad feeling grew worse. Kohaku must have been visibly paling, because Hajime looked at her with the same amount of worry. Shido was catching on too, his pace quickening.

All three suddenly broke into a sprint, veering left towards the chapel doors. None of them even checked the lock before Hajime got there first, bashing his shoulder against the door.

“Yoshie!” He called. “Open up! It’s us!” He paused, then checked the lock. “It’s locked!”

“N-No, it isn’t.” Shido pointed. “It’s only locked when the knob is turned horizontally. It’s vertical.”

“Then something’s blocking the door, because I can’t get in!” Hajime bashed his shoulder into the door again for emphasis, and Kohaku watched it not budge at all.

“Shido, grab something!” Kohaku yelled.

“Something? B-But what?”

“I don’t know! Anything to break this door open!”

Shido complied, and ran into one of the classrooms. A minute later, he returned, dragging a school chair along with him. Kohaku gratefully took it, nodding at him.

“Hajime, stand back!” Kohaku gave a word of warning.

Once Hajime was out of the way, Kohaku charged and slammed the chair right through the door. With a snap, the door broke clean off of its hinges. From the other side, a propped-up wooden podium fell to the floor. The three immediately ran in, dropping the chair.

The candles had long burned out their flames. Only a few were still flickering with life. The statue of the goddess Minoa stood over the large room, watching with a blank face.

On the table before her, Yoshie Kazushi’s body laid perfectly still and cleaned. A tarp was over his corpse, as if it were a blanket and he was asleep. He almost looked asleep, if not for that death had long stolen the color from his face.

He was dead. Despite everything they did...somebody still died.

_ Ding dong, ding dong… _

_ “A body has been discovered! Everyone, please make your way to the chapel at your closest convenience! And after a certain amount of time has passed, the class trial will begin!” _

After a small moment of silence, Kohaku only screamed, “GODAMMIIIIIIIIIIT!!”

**Chapter 4: Being a Hero Makes You a Villain**

**DEADLY LIFE**


	56. Chapter 4-11: Being a Hero Makes You a Villain

Everybody came in about two to three minutes after the announcement. If they weren’t attracted by the body discovery announcement, they were certainly pulled in by Kohaku’s scream of frustration. Before long, everybody was gathered in the chapel, seeing Yoshie’s body.

Hiroko had her hand over her mouth. “Y...Yoshie...”

“The nicest one here...had to be the one to die?” Akihiko questioned. “That’s just cruel on too many levels!”

“Why?!” Kyou seethed. “We...We had patrols! How did somebody get murdered, even with them?!”

Yuuki was unflinching. “Yoshie was killed...no doubt because of the motive. And I believe we now warrant a class trial to figure out his murder, which means we must get a move on in investigating.”

Daiki shivered. “Y-Yuuki, you’re...you’re so calm!”

“Of course I am. Understandably, with such a motive of knowing somebody’s darkest secret yet not knowing exactly whose it is...a murder was bound to happen, whether you all wanted to believe it or not.”

“Don’t speak in that tone!” Kyou suddenly yelled. “It’s like you doubted us!”

“I didn’t doubt any of you. I just expected at least one person to snap under the pressure. Monokuma did, too. That’s the reason why the motives exist in the first place.” Yuuki crossed his arms. “Don’t be mad because I expected this outcome.”

Yukio shivered. “Man, hearin’ you talk like that...sends a chill up my spine!”

Akio had fallen to his knees before the table Yoshie’s body was laid on. As Kohaku watched, he slowly clasped his shaky hands in prayer. His head tilted up to look at the pristine statue of the goddess Minoa.

“Please,” he begged. “Please gift Yoshie the highest honors of what your heaven is, goddess Minoa. It is what a man like him deserves.” He gave a shudder, tears going down his face. “P-Please...”

“Ooh, is it time for our prayers?!” Monokuma dropped in, followed by the Mechanic. “I wanna join in, honestly!”

Hajime growled. “Why are you here?”

“Why, obviously to see you all wallowing in despair! I always do it before a class trial! It’s as Kohaku and Tamotsu said, loooong back...deviances from a normal schedule really are fishy!”

The Mechanic scratched the back of his neck. “...Sorry.”

“H-Huh?” Daiki looked surprised.

“Sorry for...Yoshie. Seemed nice, y’know?”

“Why now?” Yuuki questioned. “Why do you now say this? You’ve never given your sentiments for a dead student before.”

The Mechanic lunged back a bit. “Hey, take it easy! I was just puttin’ in my thoughts!”

“Well, I doubt that they are helping,” Kyou remarked.

Monokuma cleared his throat. “Ahem! Now then! As you all know, this means-!”

“Just give us the Monokuma File and begone,” Yuuki snapped. “I grow tired of you.”

Monokuma’s face went blue. “S-So rude...did your momma teach you no manners?”

“I was developed in a petri dish,” Yuuki plainly said. “Later on, a capsule. I have no mother, unless you count the mother of the deceased Yuuki Shunsho I was based off of.”

“Geesh, such a killjoy! Can you return to being an airheaded guy that always went ‘hey hey’ and ‘eh’? All of us would like much more of a comic relief character!”

“Us?” Akihiko questioned.

Monokuma ignored him. “Regardless, you are right about something. I am here to give you your sleek Monokuma File numero cuatro!”

The Mechanic gave a bitter smile. “Made by me, of course. Nobody else.”

Kohaku could see it a mile away. He was hurting. All of his siblings have been dropping like flies. And all he could do was continue to march on like a wind-up toy, with no valid escape. It was sad, like a mouse in a maze with no exits.

Back to reality, Kohaku felt the cool tablet placed into her hand. She looked down to see the Mechanic placing the tablet into her hands.

“Please.” Her head shot up when she heard the Mechanic mutter. “Protect both of my brothers.”

He knows. And he knows that Kohaku knows. But it’s odd that he knew about Nagito. Was there any indication of the counselors besides the Yakuza knowing of his standpoint right outside the summer school boundaries? And why would they know? How could they?

That opened a terrifying thought. What if they’ve been watching? What if they know of their meetings with Nagito?

What if Nagito knew more than he was letting on?

Kohaku was gripping the Monokuma File tight in her hands as Monokuma chuckled. “You’re looking rather pale there, Kohaku! Read something you don’t like?”

“Eh? N...No, I’m fine. This is my natural complexion in a candle-lit room!” Kohaku slackened her grip and adopted a wide smile.

“Oh, very well. You teens need to have better skincare routines!” Monokuma and the Mechanic dropped out of sight, the bear laughing.

Daiki looked worried. “Are you sure you’re okay, Kohaku?”

“Y...Yea. Let’s just get this investigation underway.”

“Yea, but...I need somebody else to help me guard the body. Since...you know...”

“I can do it, my love!” Kyou declared in a loud voice with his fists clenched. “I will stand by your side!”

Daiki blushed a bit. “E-Ever passionate, as always...”

Kohaku found herself going over to Hajime, subconsciously choosing him as her aid in this. He looked up as she placed her hand on his shoulder.

“You wanna work together?” She asked plainly.

“I...don’t see why not.” Hajime knew she wanted to talk to him, so he placed a hand on hers and tapped it.

Kohaku immediately leaned in. “How did the Mechanic and possibly the counselors know Nagito is out of the summer school barriers?”

“Is it wrong to make sure you always know where your little brother is?” Hajime retorted.

Yes. Sometimes it is very wrong.

**INVESTIGATION START**


	57. Chapter 4 Investigation Period

First things first, the Monokuma File. It was still in Kohaku’s hands, so it was easy to turn it on and view the contents.

_ “The victim is Yoshie Kazushi, the Ultimate Caretaker. The time of death was at 1:00 AM. The body was discovered in the chapel room on the third floor. The cause of death was a stab to the chest that killed the victim immediately.” _

A quick and clean death...straight through the heart, and most likely from the front. Kohaku was a bit glad that, unlike a few other deaths here, Yoshie was able to die instantly without any suffering involved.

**Monokuma File #4 was added to your Truth Bullets.**

“Hey, Hajime. Before we begin...”

Hajime looked confused. “Huh? What is it?”

“This case is...going to be quite different from any other case so far in the school. None of the cases before have been a locked room mystery.”

“A...locked room mystery?”

“Do you remember? This chapel has a wooden podium, one where you put your religious books to read out from it during sermons. The podium had been moved from the stage to the door and blocked it. However, that would have trapped the killer inside.”

“So you’re saying that because of the wooden podium there, it complicates the murder because it becomes more complex on how the killer got out after the murder?” Hajime guessed.

“Exactly,” Kohaku answered. “The killer could have either escaped through a hidden back exit, or set up some sort of contraption that made the podium block the door upon exiting. However, until we solve that, this locked room mystery is going to definitely bug us all.”

“What do you personally think?” Hajime questioned.

“Well, I won’t know shiz without investigating!” Kohaku exclaimed. “However, I bet upon examining the podium, we’ll get answers.”

However, Kohaku didn’t go to the podium, first. Instead, she decided to move over to the body on the table.

Coming close, her face wrinkled at the sight. Yoshie was peaceful, almost...top peaceful. His eyes were closed, and a clean white tarp covered his body.

Kohaku picked up the tarp and moved it aside. To her surprise, there was not a single splatter of blood underneath it. Yoshie’s shirt was gone, revealing the cut into flesh over his chest. However, all the blood had been cleaned off of his body.

“A lot of respect went into his death,” Kohaku realized.

“There’s obviously a reason why, too.” Hajime pointed upwards towards the goddess statue. “This is a chapel, after all. Murdering in it is bad enough, but not cleaning up after it? That’s a huge form of sacrilege.”

“So the killer obviously had respect for either Yoshie or this religious place...”

**Corpse Position was added to your Truth Bullets.**

**Yoshie’s Chest was added to your Truth Bullets.**

Kohaku looked under the table and around the body, too. “Doubly weird...”

“What is?” 

“I can’t find a single drop of blood. All I can find is traces of water.” Kohaku wiped away a few droplets.

“So the culprit washed away all of the blood? Why would they do that?”

“I don’t know...Perhaps because of religious reasons?”

**Lack of Blood was added to your Truth Bullets.**

Kohaku picked up the tarp on Yoshie’s body and inspected it. Just like the body and its surroundings, there was not a single dash of blood.

However, she noted a detail. The tarp on it had a numerical code in the corner. It didn’t make sense to her, but she knew where she’d seen it before. The science lab.

“This tarp came from the science lab,” shs murmured, placing it back neatly onto Yoshie’s body.

Hajime looked confused. “Why would a tarp from the science lab be brought over to the chapel? As a form of respect?”

“Like covering a corpse with a blanket during a murder investigation,” Kohaku finished. “Whatever the reason is, it’s obvious that Yoshie was deemed one to have the ultimate amount of respect in death.”

**Tarp on Body was added to your Truth Bullets.**

Next, Kohaku looked at everything else on the table. The religious book was placed aside neatly in the corner, away from the body. And the sacrificial knife without a sheath was on top of it, clean and shining as always.

“Ah, the knife...” Kohaku murmured.

Hajime looked confused. “What about it?”

“Yoshie said this himself...It’s a sacrificial knife, one used to give a life to the goddess Minoa. It’s said to be purified, and dying by its blade is an honor in his religion of Luflority.”

“An honor, huh...?” Hajime thought on that. “Could it possibly be the murder weapon?”

“Well, I’m not about to rule it out...”

**Sacrificial Knife was added to your Truth Bullets.**

Kohaku wanted to explore more of the chapel before focusing on the podium. She had never really explored the area before. Looking around, she looked for any other sort of evidence.

To the side of the chapel, there was a small door. There was no label on what it could be. Confused, Kohaku decided to open the door and peeked inside.

It was a small broom closet filled with cleaning supplies. A single mop was stuck in a blue bucket propped up against the wall. There were a few cleaning supplies lining the shelves, but that was it.

Kohaku looked inside of the bucket. To her surprise, there were traces of usage. The bucket was lined with droplets of a clear liquid, and the mop itself had pink traces in it.

Then that’s where the blood is. The culprit had cleaned it up after the murder. But why be so thorough in cleaning up shed blood after a murder?

**Cleaning Supplies was added to your Truth Bullets.**

Finally, Kohaku’s attention went back to the podium now laying on the ground near the discarded school chair. The door had been partially broken off its hinges. Internally, Kohaku was happy that Monokuma didn’t comment on that, and that he would probably fix it later on after the trial.

Kohaku knelt in front of the podium. It was expertly carved out of wood, and even shined in the dim light. There were a few scratches, both from being against the door and said door being broken open.

Kohaku ran her hand across the podium. “It’s very smooth and shiny...”

Hajime knelt next to her. “That would be the fire-resistant coat Monokuma put on literally everything flammable. It made it so a fire couldn’t break out in the school, or at the very least minimize damage.”

“Fire-resistant, huh...?”

**Sermon Podium was added to your Truth Bullets.**

Kohaku noticed a dark ring on a part of the podium, right around the center. Upon closer inspection, it wasn’t the podium itself. Instead, it seemed to be a dark gray string tied around it. There was an end where it seemed to have been cut off, and it now laid against the floor.

“What’s this?” Kohaku picked up the loose part of the string.

Hajime leaned to look. “That would be some durable string. It’s too thin to be any kind of rope. It’s probably from the storage room.”

“And it looks this part got snapped,” Kohaku pointed out.

Hajime looked up. “Hey...Up there!”

Kohaku looked up. About two feet of the same rope was tied to the chapel room roof. Since the roof was much lower at the pews than the stage, it was only a few feet above them. However, it was about four pew rows away, and to the right.

“Huh...So it got burned off here, and the rest of it is...there?” Kohaku frowned. “What even burned it?”

“There’s more...Take a look at the string on the banister. There’s some cream-colored stuff on it...”

Kohaku looked, and identified the cluster at a glance. “That’s...wax.”

Hajime was baffled. “Why is there dried wax on the string?”

“Hm...I don’t know...”

**Durable String was added to your Truth Bullets.**

Kohaku looked up with a raised eyebrow. To none of her surprise, part of the banister above had candle wax all over it. It was one of the chapel’s candles, entirely melted. The wax had dripped down the banister and some even got onto the floor and pews.

Why was the candle moved? And why was it left to just melt all over the banister and chapel floor? It was rather strange...

**Burnt-Out Candle was added to your Truth Bullets.**

“Hey, Hajime?” Kohaku questioned. “Can you tell me if you spotted anything weird, since you were patrolling and all?”

“Huh...Oh, yea. I can.” Hajime crossed his arms. “Though I’ll need to explain how the chapel door locks, first.”

“What about it?”

“You probably already know this, but I want you to keep this in mind while I say this. It can only be locked from the inside. It can’t be unlocked or anything from the outside. There’s not even a hole for a key.”

“Okay...now explain your story.”

“As you know, I was patrolling with Daiki and Akio. At one point, I was alone on the third floor. During the whole time I was there, the chapel door was locked. I had assumed it was Yoshie who hadn’t gone to bed yet.”

“Right...it was said that the patrols went on later than planned since Yoshie stayed up to pray.”

“However...My time was at 2:00, an hour after his death. So the chapel door was locked then...but not now.”

“...So if it was locked when he was dead, when would it have been unlocked...”

**Chapel Door was added to your Truth Bullets.**

**Hajime’s Account was added to your Truth Bullets.**

Hajime frowned a bit. “You should probably know what everyone was doing all night.”

“What? You know?” Hajime gave her a knowing expression. “Oh...right. You were patrolling.”

Hajime cleared his throat. “At night, only six people I knew were awake. Everybody else was asleep, for all I know. Kyou, Yukio, and Yoshie were having the meeting at the lake. Kyou came back at 11, and then Yukio and Yoshie came back at 12. Yoshie went into the chapel to pray until his murder, where the murderer stayed until definitely after I stopped patrolling the third floor. I was at the second floor until 12:10, then the first floor until 2:00, then the third floor until three. I went to bed after that. Akio was only at the second floor, and he went to bed after the meeting. Daiki was...I don’t know where Daiki was, but he definitely stayed up the entire night.”

Kohaku winced. “Sheesh. Talk about dedicated to the job.”

“I know. But that’s why that he might look a bit out of it during the investigation and class trial.”

“I see...This info will definitely prove useful. Thanks a bunch!”

**Nighttime Alibis was added to your Truth Bullets.**

Speaking of Daiki, Kohaku decided to go over to him. Upon closer approach, Kohaku found that Hajime was right. He did look quite out of it. He was currently dozing off, not paying attention to anything at all.

“Hey, hey!” Kohaku snapped her fingers, and he immediately blinked. “Daiki!”

“Whuh-huh? O-Oh! Kohaku! Hey...sorry about that. I hadn’t gotten much sleep.”

“I know. Hajime told me.”

Daiki chuckled a bit. “I’m sorry, really! Um...Did you need something?”

“Yea. I just needed to ask you...what were you doing during your patrol? See anything suspicious?”

Daiki shook his head. “No, not at all. I was all over the place all night.” He paused. “However, there was one time...”

“Care to explain?”

“I, erm...fell asleep in the main entrance hall. I passed out sometime before 1:00, and woke up at 3:00. So there was two hours where anything could have happened.”

Kohaku tilted her head. “Can anybody back up that you took a nap?”

“Um...No. I don’t believe anybody saw me...”

So Daiki took a nap from before 1:00 to around 3:00. That’s two whole hours where the murderer could have acted. And that means that the third floor was entirely unguarded until Hajime was there at 2:00. But who’s to say that Daiki could potentially be lying...

**Daiki’s Account was added to your Truth Bullets.**

Now, the best thing to do was find Akio. He was the third and last person on patrol. He could have possibly seen something. Kohaku and Hajime bid the chapel goodbye and stepped out into the third floor main room.

Their luck turned out, and Akio was right there. He was pacing in a circle, face pale and his arms crossed. It was obvious that seeing Yoshie’s pale corpse had gotten at him.

Hajime walked up first, and Akio paused to look. “Akio?”

“I...I’m fine, I just...I just didn’t want to see Yoshie like that anymore. He...He didn’t deserve it. The foul demon that took his life...should undoubtedly be vanquished.”

“Right...listen, did you see anything suspicious during your patrol last night?” Hajime questioned.

“I...Well, it’s hard to say,” Akio admitted. “I was the first to stop patrolling, at midnight. However, I did see...something. I had seen a shadow go up to the third floor. Judging by the large shape, it was definitely Daiki.”

“Right...Daiki’s figure is way wider than the rest of ours,” Hajime pointed out.

“So we can say for certain that Daiki was on the third floor...at what time?”

“It was right when I was returning to my dorm when I saw the shadow go up the stairs, so...almost exactly midnight.”

Daiki was on the third floor for a while, starting at midnight. By basic thought, this would have probably been the same until 1:00, so...Daiki was theoretically on the third floor during the murder?

**Akio’s Account was added to your Truth Bullets.**

“Hey, Kohaku,” Hajime suddenly called. “Look at this.”

Kohaku immediately went to Hajime’s side. He was at the back side of the third floor. He was standing by the only large window on that wall, one that oversaw the thick forest behind the school.

With a single swing of his arms, Hajime opened the windows. Morning dew was shaken from it, and it fell to the ground below. Hajime placed his hands on the banister, peering down.

“See how I opened it?”

Kohaku looked baffled. “Yea?”

“I didn’t even touch the locking mechanism the windows have. This had been unlocked.”

Kohaku paused. “And...was it not locked yesterday?”

“No. It was locked, I can assure you. I had felt a draft while up here, but didn’t know that it was the window.”

Kohaku looked down. Why was this window unlocked now, when it wasn’t yesterday?

**Third Floor Windows was added to your Truth Bullets.**

That was all they were going to probably find on the third floor. Kohaku tugged on Hajime’s tie to get his attention, then said, “We should probably investigate why the window was open.”

“You mean going to the ground floor?”

“Yea. Something could have fallen out onto the ground.”

Hajime nodded, seeing where her thinking was coming from. “Yea...That sounds like a good idea. Let’s head downstairs.”

Kohaku and Hajime went down the two flights of stairs to the ground floor. Nobody was at the staircase, instead probably spread out to find evidence on different floors.

Once they hit the ground floor, they saw Yuuki. He was unfolding white sheets and staring at them with no visible emotion. After seeming to be satisfied, he folded them back up and placed them on a neat stack. The pile he was getting them from was a complete clump with no organization.

Kohaku stared at him. “Yuuki?”

Yuuki looked up. “Oh. Hello, Kohaku. And Hajime.”

“What are you doing?”

“While I was investigating, I noticed an odd thing in the laundry room,” Yuuki replied. “All of the sheets had been washed.”

Hajime frowned. “That...isn’t strange.”

“Normally it isn’t, but there’s the fact that I know for a fact that nobody did laundry yesterday.”

“Does anybody...?” Kohaku questioned to mostly herself.

“There’s more,” Yuuki continued. “Some of the sheets have visible strain in them. A few of the threads are torn or stretched. What's more, I found them in a pile, when I know for a fact that they were folded neatly. They always are.”

“So you’re saying they were used for something?” Kohaku asked.

“Undoubtedly related to the murder, because I know Yoshie uses the sheets at the chapel.”

Hajime was confused. “What? How do you know?”

“I think it has something to do with white symbolising purity. Regardless, he always returned the sheets at night. They are returned, but...not in the neatness that they usually are.”

The sheets were returned from Yoshie’s possession, but not in the form that they always were...but when could they have possibly been returned when none of the patrols saw him walking down the flights of stairs?

**Laundry Room Sheets was added to your Truth Bullets.**

The only way to go outside to check the ground around the open window was the main entrance. Bidding Yuuki a goodbye, Hajime and Kohaku went towards the main entrance hall.

Inside of the main entrance hall, there really wasn’t anything out of the ordinary. All there were were a pair of huge rain boots. Kohaku recognized them as one of the protective wears from the science lab.

“Those are huge rain boots,” she noted.

Hajime began to think. “Yea, but...when did they get down here?”

Kohaku crouched down to view them closer. Mud was streaked all over the bottom and sometimes the sides of the rain boots.

“The only person big enough to wear this is Daiki,” Kohaku pointed out. “Could he have used these to go outside?”

“Maybe, but...what’s the point of using them?” Hajime wondered out loud.

Hajime has a point. Why were these taken from the science lab? Did Daiki need them at some point?

**Muddy Rain Boots was added to your Truth Bullets.**

Exiting the school, Kohaku and Hajime moved to the back of it. It took a good seven minutes to look completely around the school and make it to the other side.

At the back of the school, Hajime crouched down. The area in the back was filled with mud and such, so they left footprints everywhere.

“Hey, Kohaku!” Hajime called. “I found something!”

Kohaku went over to Hajime’s side. There were large footprints in the mud starting from the base of the third floor window. There were some more marks along the footprints, as if somebody had tripped or dropped something.

“Hm...These are really big footprints.”

Hajime looked up. “Think they’re from the rain boots?”

“Definitely. Not only that, it looks like the person who wore them tripped a few times. But there doesn’t seem to be anything in sight that would cause them to trip...”

Hajime frowned. “Yea...That’s odd.”

**Muddy Footprints was added to your Truth Bullets.**

_ Ding dong, ding dong... _

_ “Ooooh, I’m getting bored of waiting! I’ve given you all enough time, so let’s move on to the main event! Please proceed outside to board the bus towards our class trial location!” _

Hajime and Kohaku shared a similar glance. It was time for the class trial. They may have gathered a lot of information, but...could it possibly be enough to find the killer of Yoshie?

There was no time to ponder it. Both got up on their feet and ran back the way they came. Being late could potentially cost them their lives.

At the bus, everyone was gathered. By the time it took to loop back around the school, Hajime and Kohaku were the last ones there. Hajime was perfectly fine while Kohaku was out of breath.

Hiroko was surprised. “Where were you two?”

“Back of the school,” Hajime answered.

“How are you not as winded as Kohaku, then?” Akio questioned. “You must have ran the whole way here!”

“I did a lot of running in the past,” Hajime replied. “I could probably do a running marathon around a whole island.”

“That’s extremely impressive!” Yukio exclaimed. “What’s your secret?”

Hajime smiled a bit. “Cardio.”

The bus’s microphones flicked on.  _ “Beep beep, everyone! The bus doors are now opening! Hop on!” _ As Monokuma said that, the doors indeed open up.

“So it’s time,” Daiki murmured. “Every time we do this, it makes me sick...”

“I will admit I get an unpleasant feeling myself!” Kyou agreed. “But it must be done for the preservation of the rest of our classmates!”

Akihiko frowned. “Well...theoretically...Couldn’t we just all swarm Monokuma at once and attack him?”

“I mean, maybe, if not for the fact that not only would we get blown up, he’s got spare bodies,” Yukio returned. “We learned that on the first day here.”

Akihiko chuckled nervously. “Yea...right. That’s true.”

“Well, everyone?” Shido gulped. “Let’s...get this over with, alright?”

“I’m quite interested in seeing how you all will get your answer,” Yuuki said.

Hajime paused. “Your voice is...implying that you know who the culprit is!”

“I know for a fact who it is, and I know exactly how they did it. I don’t know if it is common knowledge, but I tend to have a faster functioning brain due to it being genetically modified.”

“Oh, that was definitely you braggin’,” Yukio said.

Yuuki smiled. “Perhaps a little bit.”

The bus ride there, Kohaku was once more sitting with Shido. He was staring out the window, face pressed into his palm. Visibly, he was shaking.

She knew why. Going back would awaken terrible memories of the last trial. Where he was forced to act like a psychopath to take the blame of the blackened. Where he had to claim that he murdered his own brother by religious ritual and a friendly classmate.

Is that why Shido was avoiding everybody? The guilt and the horrible feeling of betraying comrades festering within a person’s being? Whatever it was, it made him...avoid her more. She...didn’t like it at all.

Why did she care? It’s not like that she cared for him! He was a means to an end for her!

Somehow, those thoughts made her cringe. Her normal thought process now made her feel like she would throw up. Has this killing game changed her? For better or for worse?

When the bus stopped, Kohaku moved her hand to hold Shido’s. She didn’t know why she did it. And judging by Shido’s surprised expression, he wasn’t expecting it, either.

“It’ll be okay.” Kohaku was speaking in a soft tone. “I’ll be with you every step of the way, just like every time. And I will continue to be with you.”

Shido blinked a few times. “You...You mean that?”

“That’s what friends are for!” Kohaku stuck out her pinkie finger. “I pinkie promise!”

Shido looked confused at first. Then, he slowly stuck out his own pinkie and wrapped it around hers. Smiling, she locked it in position for a few moments.

Her heart soared when he smiled. It was a tiny bit, but enough to make her extremely happy, just for a fleeting moment. If this is what pinkie promises made people feel like, she should do them more often.

Outside, all of the podiums were erected in a patch of dirt. Carved stones were propped up, much like mushrooms around a fairy ring. Kohaku noticed glittering gems and mysterious runes in the large rocks. Not only was there now an extra podium, right next to Shido, no less, two of the podiums were decorated with memorial portraits of both Asuka and Yoshie.

Monokuma appeared on his throne. Only one of the smaller thrones were now filled. “I introduce to you...the Ring of Stones! I thought with such a way the murder had gone, I had to be equally spiritual!”

“These stones...where did you even get them?” Hiroko asked. Did she actually look surprised? “They radiate with calming magic.”

“I got them 50% off on a local shopping website!”

Hiroko’s face immediately went into a scowl. “Cheap bastard.”

Daiki looked over at Akio. “Will you be okay?”

Akio nodded, smiling. “Thank you for your concern...but I am in good health. We must find the scoundrel who ended Yoshie’s life.”

Yuuki nodded. “Yes, and potentially get some answers at the end.”

Kohaku knew what he meant. About Insurrection’s Abyss, and the fake Monolith Valley, and everything wrong here. In order to understand this, they’ll need to get at Monokuma every chance they get, which means questioning at the trial.

Ever since the game began, uncovering its secrets has been Kohaku’s goal. And she will never slack in it! She’ll face the trial head on, and find the blackened amongst them!


	58. Chapter 4: 4th Class Trial-1

**YOSHIE’S SPIRIT HAS RETURNED TO THE HEAVENS OF THE GODDESS MINOA. WHO DEALT THE KILLING BLOW? WHO TREATED HIM WITH UTMOST RESPECT? WHO IS NOW THE BLACKENED UNDER THE EYES OF THE GODS?**

**Truth Bullets: 19/19**

**Monokuma File #4 [Counselor File #4]: The victim is Yoshie Kazushi, the Ultimate Caretaker. The time of death was at 1:00 AM. The body was discovered in the chapel room on the third floor. The cause of death was a stab to the chest that killed the victim immediately.**

**Corpse Position [Corpse on Floor]: Yoshie’s body was laid perfectly horizontally on the table below the statue of the goddess in the chapel.**

**Yoshie’s Chest [Blood on Chest]: Yoshie’s chest was bare. It was perfectly clean of any blood, besides the stab wound being visible on his chest.**

**Lack of Blood [Large Amount of Blood]: There was no blood whatsoever in the chapel or around the body.**

**Tarp on Body [Nothing on Body]: A tarp from the science lab was brought into the chapel and laid over Yoshie’s corpse like one would do at a funeral.**

**Sacrificial Knife [Pocket Knife]: The sacrificial knife with no sheath was lying on top of the religious book next to Yoshie’s body, perfectly clean. Yoshie had said it was a knife used to sacrifice small animals to the goddess Minoa. Dying from the purified knife is the ultimate amount of respect to one of his religion.**

**Cleaning Supplies [Construction Supplies]: The closet in the chapel holds cleaning supplies. The mop in it has faint pink traces, and the bucket has traces of water in it.**

**Sermon Podium [Church Pew]: The podium of the chapel had been moved from the stage to block the door. Hajime says that it has been painted with a fire-resistant coat.**

**Durable String [Thin String]: A loop of durable, dark gray string was wound around the podium and cut off at one end. Some more string was found hanging from the banister about four pew rows away. One end of it has melted wax hardened on it.**

**Burnt-Out Candle [Burning Candle]: One of the church candles was moved to the top of the banisters. It had completely melted, dripping wax all over the banister and the floor below.**

**Chapel Door [Science Lab Door]: The chapel door can only be locked from the inside.**

**Hajime’s Account [Hajime’s Lie]: When Hajime was patrolling the third floor, he claims that the chapel door had been locked. However, this morning, it was barricaded instead of locked. He had assumed it was Yoshie because if his irregular praying hours, but this was at 2:00, an hour after Yoshie’s death.**

**Nighttime Alibis [Nighttime Lies]: Hajime’s account of last night is as follows: At night, only six people he knew were awake. Everybody else was supposedly asleep. Kyou, Yukio, and Yoshie were having the meeting at the lake. Kyou came back at 11, and then Yukio and Yoshie came back at 12. Yoshie went into the chapel to pray until his murder. Hajime was at the second floor until 12:10, then the first floor until 2:00, then the third floor until three. He went to bed after that. Akio was only at the second floor, and he went to bed after the meeting. Daiki’s exact patrolling is unknown, but Hajime can say with confidence that he stayed up all night.**

**Daiki’s Account [Daiki’s Lie]: Daiki had taken a nap in the main entrance hall from 1:00 to 3:00. Nobody had seen him take this nap.**

**Akio’s Account [Akio’s Lie]: Akio, while on the second floor, saw a large shadow go up to the third floor. By how big it was, he presumed it was Daiki. This was at almost exactly midnight.**

**Third Floor Windows [Second Floor Windows]: The third floor windows were found open and unlocked by Hajime. However, a fall would surely injure or even kill somebody with not enough muscle mass.**

**Laundry Room Sheets [Laundry Room Shirts]: The laundry room sheets had all been washed and left in a pile. Yuuki says that not only was nobody assigned to laundry duty, the sheets were in a neat stack last night. A few of these have signs of strain in their seams, as well.**

**Muddy Rain Boots [Clean Rain Boots]: A pair of protective gear supplied by the science lab. Kohaku and Hajime found them in the main entrance hall. They’re covered with mud at the soles and sides. The only person they could fit is Daiki.**

**Muddy Footprints [Untouched Mud]: Large footprints go from the back of the school right below the third floor window and around to the front. Marks in the ground suggest the one who was walking tripped a few times.**

**Monokuma:** Let’s begin with a basic explanation of the class trial! So, your votes will determine the results! If you can figure out whodunnit, then only they will receive punishment! But if you pick the wrong one...Then I’ll punish everyone besides the blackened, and the one who deceived everyone else will graduate!

**Hajime:** I’ll give us a starting point. Before we think of anything else, we have to figure out the locked room mystery.

**Yukio:** Huh? Locked room mystery?

**Yuuki: ** A locked room mystery, or in other words, an “impossible case”. A murder’s circumstances make it almost impossible to solve. Say that a woman was found frozen to death in her room. However, her room was locked, and only she could unlock it. There are no windows, so there is no visible way for the killer to have gotten in. That is a locked room mystery.

**Hajime:** When Kohaku, Shido and I got to the chapel, we had to break the door down. Someone had moved the sermon podium from the stage to the door to block it.

**Yukio:** Wait, but...the only way to leave the chapel is through the door. Who put that podium there, since Yoshie was already dead?

**Hajime: ** That is what we need to figure out: How the killer got out if they blocked the door.

_ State your case! _

**Truth Bullets:**

**Sermon Podium [Church Pew]**

**Durable String [Thin String]**

**Burnt-Out Candle [Burning Candle]**

**Chapel Door [Science Lab Door]**

**Hajime:** How the killer blocked the door without sealing themselves inside...

**Hajime:** That’s what we need to figure out.

**Yukio: ** Perhaps  **some sort of mechanism** was rigged?

**Kyou: ** Perhaps the killer got out by use of a  **secret exit** !

**Daiki: ** Could they have  **hidden themselves** until we arrived?

**Yuuki: ** That is undoubtedly impossible, Daiki.

**Akihiko: ** Does the church have a  **back window** ?

**Akihiko: ** That’s a valid escape point, right?

**Kyou: ** Impossible! The third floor is too high up!

**Kyou: ** You’ll hurt yourself jumping from such a high point!

** _Kohaku: _ ** _ Everyone is making various good points...all of these can be good theories. However, I know for a fact which one has the strongest evidence! _

**some sort of mechanism** \-  **Durable String**

** _Kohaku: _ ** _ You’re dead on right there! _

_ Consent! _

**Kohaku: ** You all make good propositions, but I believe Yukio’s theory has the most truth to it! There was definitely a sort of mechanism rigged!

**Hiroko: ** May Yukio please explain his theory to the rest of us?

**Yukio: ** Okay, so we all know the chapel door is the only way both in and out of said room. The locked room mystery comes from the door being blocked. The only way I can think of this sequence is that the killer somehow rigged the podium to fall onto the door after they leave.

**Akio: ** Your mind works very brightly, Yukio!

**Yukio: ** Thank you!

**Kohaku: ** I can support his theory with evidence. When Hajime and I were investigating the podium, we found a dark gray string tied around it. There was a point where it had been cut off.

**Kyou: ** Then that means it had been tied to something!

**Akihiko: ** But then how would the string have been cut? At that point, the killer would have left the room, right?

**Hiroko: ** There’s probably another component to this theory of a mechanism that would explain that.

** _Kohaku: _ ** _ Another component...Something had to have been set up to cut the string after the killer left the chapel. Could it be that thing I found...? _

**Monokuma File #4**

**Corpse Position**

**Yoshie’s Chest**

**Lack of Blood**

**Tarp on Body**

**Sacrificial Knife**

**Cleaning Supplies**

**Sermon Podium**

**Durable String**

**>>Burnt-Out Candle**

**Chapel Door**

**Hajime’s Account**

**Nighttime Alibis**

**Daiki’s Account**

**Akio’s Account**

**Third Floor Windows**

**Laundry Room Sheets**

**Muddy Rain Boots**

**Muddy Footprints**

** _Kohaku: _ ** _ My proof is right here! _

**Kohaku: ** On top of one of the banisters, one of the church candles had been placed. It was burned down to the wick, and all the wax had melted, not just over the banister, but over the floor. If the podium had been tied upwards by a string, and if the wax landed on it, would it not melt through the string, cutting it?

**Akio: ** That is an odd assumption. What if the wax missed?

**Hajime: ** There’s no way it wouldn’t have. It was way too big. More than enough wax would have fallen to melt through the string. The string is meant to hold back large objects. It’s not heat resistant.

**Daiki: ** I see...so the podium was still tilted in the beginning, right? That’s the only way it would have fallen forward.

**Yukio: ** So the podium was tilted slightly towards the door, otherwise it wouldn’t call against the door...and the string was tied around it to hold it back.

**Kohaku: ** The string was connected to the banister. Hajime and I saw the other half dangling.

**Hajime: ** And the killer placed a burning candle above where the string was tied to the banister so the wax would eventually melt through the string and cut it!

**Kohaku: ** That’s the undeniable truth of how the locked room mystery was achieved!

**Yuuki: ** For a locked room “mystery”, that was too simple to solve.

**Akihiko: ** I don’t think the killer was particularly focused on the locked room. They were probably much more preoccupied with hiding their identity.

**Shido: ** N-Now that we’ve determined the case of the locked room mystery...we should move on to something else that’s basic. For example...the murder was committed at 1:00, right? What was everyone doing at that time?

**Kyou: ** Everybody except Hajime, Akio, and Daiki should have been asleep! The meeting had ended at that point, so all who partook went to bed before 1:00!

**Yuuki: ** And besides, it’s obvious it can be nobody else. They would have had to sneak up to the third floor, past all three of them to murder Yoshie in the chapel. Somebody would have been bound to see them.

**Hajime: ** So I guess our main suspects are us three, right? Well, at 1:00, I was on the first floor.

**Akio: ** As for me, I had retired to bed at that point.

**Daiki: ** Um...sort of the same for me. I took a nap in the entrance hall, since I was planning to patrol all night.

**Hiroko: ** So according to the alibis, only Hajime was awake?

**Hajime: ** H-Hey! That doesn't mean anything incriminating!

**Yuuki: ** Pointing fingers at others will get us nowhere, Hiroko. Instead, we can understand that one of them is speaking falsely.

**Kyou: ** You’re saying that...one of them is lying? But who?!

_ State your case! _

**Truth Bullets:**

**Hajime’s Account [Hajime’s Lie]**

**Daiki’s Account [Daiki’s Lie]**

**Akio’s Account [Akio’s Lie]**

**Nighttime Alibis [Nighttime Lies]**

**Yuuki: ** To understand who exactly is lying...

**Yuuki: ** Can you three repeat your alibis?

**Hajime: ** Well,  **I was on the first floor.**

**Daiki: ** I was  **taking a nap in the entrance hall.**

**Akio: ** And I had  **returned to my dorm.**

**Yuuki: ** Now that you all know the alibis...

**Yuuki: ** Think on the lines of what they have said beyond themselves.

**Yuuki: ** Think of what the others had seen, and now claim.

** _Kohaku: _ ** _ Yuuki’s claiming that one of them is lying on where they were. And he’s pointing out what others had said...what account contrasts with their claim? _

**taking a nap in the entrance hall.** \-  **Akio’s Account**

** _Kohaku: _ ** _ No, that’s wrong! _

_ Break!! _

**Kohaku: ** Wait a moment there! Akio, you said that Daiki had gone up onto the third floor!

**Akio: ** Ah...I did. At 12:00, exactly. I saw his shadow.

**Daiki: ** Um...What does that have to do with my alibi?

**Kohaku: ** Then at that point, Hajime would have been on the first floor, correct? So if you went to take a nap in the entrance hall, wouldn’t Hajime have seen you walk through the first floor?

**Daiki: ** H-Hey! When I went down, Hajime wasn’t on the first floor!

**Hajime: ** What?! I was!

**Akio: ** B-But I only said that he was up there beginning at midnight...when I went down, I saw Hajime on the second floor at that time.

**Hajime: ** Yea, but I went down to the first floor at about 12:10...so Kohaku and Yuuki are right! I would have seen Daiki go to the entrance hall!

**Daiki: ** U-Um...Th-This is...

**Yuuki: ** Daiki? What do you have to say for yourself?

**Daiki: ** I...don’t have to say anything for myself! That’s a full lie!

**Hiroko: ** Both Hajime and Akio’s accounts go against yours, Daiki. We are not saying you are the killer just yet. We’re saying that you’ve certainly lied.

**Kohaku: ** Don’t try and bluff your way out. Just tell us truthfully what-

** _Kyou: _ ** _ Your reasoning is too far off for the truth! _

**Kyou: ** Kohaku! There is no possible way that Daiki killed Yoshie! He is too nice for such a cruel act!

**Kohaku: ** We’re not saying he’s the killer! We’re just pointing out a flaw in his alibi!

**Kyou: ** First it is the lie, then comes the accusations! That’s always how our trials play out! I won’t let you sully Daiki’s name like this! I will fight your words with my own!

** _Rebuttal Showdown!_ **

**Truth Knives:**

**Nighttime Alibis**

**Muddy Rain Boots**

**Muddy Footprints**

**Daiki’s Account**

**Kyou: ** If Daiki is lying as you say...

**Kyou: ** It would be strange out of all of his choosable locations...

**Kyou: ** He chose  **the main entrance hall** for a nap!

**Kyou: He could have** **chosen any other place...**

**Kyou: ** But he chose the one that was bound to fail?

**Kyou: ** There’s no way he would lie about going to the main entrance hall!

_ Advance! _

**Kohaku: ** Akio was going to bed, and Hajime was on the second floor.

**Kohaku: ** Hey may not have known that Hajime would move to the first floor.

**Kyou:** For all we know,  **Hajime is lying!**

**Kyou: ** Hajime may not have patrolled the first floor at all that night!

**Kyou: ** Daiki was in the main entrance hall! I know it!

**Kyou: ** Try and refute my truth, Kohaku!

** _Kohaku: _ ** _ Kyou says that there’s no reason why Daiki lied about the main entrance hall as an alibi...maybe it was because of what happened in there! _

**He could have chosen any other place...** \-  **Muddy Rain Boots**

** _Kohaku: _ ** _ Excuse me while I slice up your argument! _

_ Break!! _

**Kohaku: ** Daiki used the entrance hall as an alibi because he had gone outside!

**Kyou: ** Oh, yes? And what is your proof of that?!

**Kohaku: ** Rain boots from the science lab were found covered in mud in the entrance hall. They can only fit Daiki’s size.

**Kyou: ** So? That doesn’t mean anything! Why would he even need to go outside?

**Daiki: ** Wait! I-I didn’t even know that those existed! I’m being framed here!

_ State your case! _

**Truth Bullets:**

**Muddy Rain Boots [Clean Rain Boots]**

**Muddy Footprints [Untouched Mud]**

**Nighttime Alibis [Nighttime Lies]**

**Third Floor Windows [Second Floor Windows]**

**Akihiko: ** But if Daiki did go to the entrance hall eventually, when did he go?

**Hiroko: ** It definitely  **wasn’t at 1:00.** Hajime was downstairs at that time.

**Hajime: ** I came back upstairs  **at around 2:00** , so...

**Kyou: ** Then Daiki  **could have just waited** until then, right?

**Kyou: ** Because  **there is no other way** to get down to the ground floor besides the stairs!

**Shido: ** However, Daiki didn’t know how long Hajime would have been on the first floor, right?

**Shido: ** Wouldn’t going down be a gamble on his part?

**Yukio: ** Then did he  **wait at the stairs** until Hajime left?

**Yukio: ** Daiki has endless patience, after all!

**Daiki: ** G-Guys, please! It wasn’t me!

** _Kohaku: _ ** _ We have no conclusive evidence that Daiki is the killer...but we do have evidence that supports he was lying. I just have to prove what Daiki did to get to the entrance hall without fear of being spotted... _

**there is no other way** \-  **Third Floor Windows**

** _Kohaku: _ ** _ No, that’s wrong! _

_ Break!! _

**Kohaku: ** Maybe Daiki didn’t use the stairs at all when he went back to the ground floor! He used the windows on the third floor!

**Akihiko: ** What?! That’s crazy!

**Yuuki: ** But 100% correct. Hajime said so himself.

**Hajime: ** H-Huh? I did?

**Yuuki: ** According to our factual section on the Monopads, Hajime said that the windows were definitely locked when he patrolled up there from 2:00 to 3:00. However, this morning, they were unlocked. Somebody used them for something.

**Shido: ** A-And you’re suggesting somebody jumped out of them?

**Yuuki: ** Someone certainly did play the waiting game, since they had to wait until Hajime left the floor at 3:00. Then, they used the window to get out and loop around the school to the entrance hall.

**Hiroko: ** But who would jump out of a window without a care in the world? It’s three stories up! They could have very well broke a leg.

**Yuuki: ** Which is why they used a certain object. Kohaku, please remember what I had been doing during the investigation.

** _Kohaku: _ ** _ What were you doing...it’s related to that piece of evidence. He said it was related, so I guess he figured out the trick of the window almost immediately... _

**Monokuma File #4**

**Corpse Position**

**Yoshie’s Chest**

**Lack of Blood**

**Tarp on Body**

**Sacrificial Knife**

**Cleaning Supplies**

**Sermon Podium**

**Durable String**

**Burnt-Out Candle**

**Chapel Door**

**Hajime’s Account**

**Nighttime Alibis**

**Daiki’s Account**

**Akio’s Account**

**Third Floor Windows**

**>>Laundry Room Sheets**

**Muddy Rain Boots**

**Muddy Footprints**

** _Kohaku: _ ** _ My proof is right here! _

**Kohaku: ** You’re saying that the laundry room sheets were involved?

**Yuuki: ** They had been probably brought up by Yoshie, which is why they were available to whoever jumped out the window.

**Yukio: ** Laundry room sheets...Oh! You mean they tied them together, like a rope!

**Yuuki: ** That is exactly what I’m going at. For all of you unaware, I found that some of the sheets had strain in their seams this morning, after the murder. When I learned of the open third floor windows, I realized they had been tied together in a makeshift rope. That was used to rappel down to the ground below the third floor window.

**Hajime: ** That’s where the boots were used to walk through the mud.

**Yuuki: ** And where we find one out of several reasons why Daiki is not possibly the murderer.


	59. Chapter 4: 4th Class Trial-2

**Yuuki: ** Everybody, there is no possible way Daiki is the killer. He is not lying at all.

**Kyou: ** Hah! I knew it!

**Shido: ** Daiki...cannot possibly be the culprit, you say? But isn’t an amount of evidence pointing towards it?

**Yuuki: ** You’re all thinking the wrong way. The true killer left some evidence that can prove it was not Daiki. We’ll begin with the window, as I said.

**Akio: ** How does a window prove it wasn’t Daiki?

**Yuuki: ** Not the window itself. When the killer used the laundry room sheets to rappel themself to the ground, they were wearing the rain boots from the science lab. If they fit the killer perfectly, some evidence stated in the Monopads wouldn’t exist. Do you know what I am talking about, Kohaku?

** _Kohaku: _ ** _ Evidence created by the killer...having the wrong shoe size? What would be that? _

** _Hangman’s Gambit 4D_ **

**_ R I _ _ A _ K S**

** _What evidence was made by the rain boots worn by the killer not being their correct shoe size?_ **

**TRIP MARKS**

** _Kohaku: _ ** _ It’s clicking together in my head! _

**Kohaku: ** The footprints under the window weren’t the only markings in the mud behind the school! There were lines in the mud, as if somebody had tripped a few times!

**Yuuki: ** Our key word here is a few. One stumble is understandable. Two are unlucky. But a few...that does not mean clumsiness. Tell me, if you waded in mud with shoes bigger than your feet, what would you most likely do?

**Akihiko: ** Trip, obviously! The toe of the boots would be catching everywhere!

**Yuuki: ** And yet according to their size, Daiki would fit them perfectly. Why would he trip so much if that was the case?

**Yukio: ** Maybe there was just a lot of mud?

**Yuuki: ** Still don’t believe me? That’s understandable. Some marks in the mud usually don’t convince the best officers. Then let me ask you this: If it was Daiki, why would he have even needed to get the rain boots?

**Akihiko: ** Do you...have an answer to that question?

**Yuuki: ** No, because it’s entirely illogical. There’s no way Daiki took the time to put on rain boots from the science lab, because of a detail already on him. Right, Kohaku?

** _Kohaku: _ ** _ Back to me again. Let’s see...what detail does Daiki have that Yuuki must mean? _

Daiki is the largest of us all

**>>Daiki already has on boots**

Daiki likes to go barefoot

** _Kohaku: _ ** _ I got it! _

**Kohaku: ** Daiki’s already wearing boots! Rain boots, to be exact!

**Daiki: ** Well, of course I already have them. I am the Ultimate Ship Captain. I have to be ready to wade in water.

**Yuuki: ** As we can see, Daiki already has rain boots. Why would he need to take a second pair from the science lab just to leave them in the entrance hall? Plus, that means he would have left his black boots in the science lab. He’s still visibly wearing them. That’s two out of three strikes.

**Hajime: ** There’s a third piece of evidence that declares Daiki innocent?

**Yuuki: ** And all we need to do is think back to the mechanism the killer rigged to block the door once they left. What they had to do for it to work properly.

**Yukio: ** For it to work...do you mean...Oh, that’s it! That’s what Yuuki is gettin’ at!

** _Kohaku: _ ** _ Yukio’s gotten excited...I think he’s realized the trick here. _

** _Yukio: _ ** _ My street smarts will get us through this! _

**Yukio: ** The mechanism obviously had some sort of trick to it. Once you think about it, it becomes clear that Daiki couldn’t set up the mechanism. There’s a certain part of it that completely shuts down the whole Daiki bein’ the killer stuff!

** _LOGIC REFRESH_ **

**Bullets: 5**

**Yukio: ** The mechanism was set up  **[Durable String] ** to block the door.

**Yukio: ** Something had to be done for the podium…  **[Sermon Podium]**

**Yukio: ** To eventually fall against the door.  **[Burnt-Out Candle]**

**Yukio: [Sacrificial Knife]** It isn’t that hard to think about.

**Yukio: ** Just remember a simple law we all are taught...

**Yukio: ** The simple  **[Chapel Door] ** law of gravity.

**Durable String**

**>>Sermon Podium**

**Burnt-Out Candle**

**Sacrificial Knife**

**Chapel Door**

** _Kohaku: _ ** _ I can conclude to that! _

_ Complete!! _

**Kohaku: ** The sermon podium is the key to proving Daiki’s innocence! And it’s all because of gravity!

**Hiroko: ** Gravity? What...are you getting at?

**Kohaku: ** We all know that the podium had to be tilted so it would eventually fall onto the door once the candle wax burned through the string holding it up. However, no matter how little it had been tilted, in order for it to fall on the door and stay there, it had to have still partially blocked the chapel door.

**Yukio: ** And that would have left only enough room for someone much thinner than Daiki to get through!

**Shido: ** S-So because of the mechanism setup...Daiki wouldn’t have been able to get through the door because of his size, once it was set up!

**Kyou: ** Then it is settled, right?

**Yuuki: ** It is. There is no possible way Daiki was the killer, no matter whose account says so. How annoying...we spent so much time clearing a single person’s name.

**Daiki: ** H-Hey! I’m grateful for you sticking up for me, Yuuki, really!

**Yuuki: ** Well...you’re welcome. Anyways, can we move on?

**Hiroko: ** Right...we got completely sidetracked with Daiki. But at least we learned the circumstances of the locked room mystery and how the killer got down to the ground floor without being spotted by the patrols.

**Shido: ** I mean...don’t we already know who it is, now?

**Akihiko: ** Woah, what?! We do?!

**Shido: ** All we need to do is just...focus on the way Yoshie’s body was treated. And then we have our answer.

** _Kohaku: _ ** _ If we focus on the state of Yoshie’s body, we have our killer? Let’s see...what state was the body found in, then? _

**INNER MOTORWAY**

**Question 1: What most likely killed Yoshie Kazushi?**

A pocket knife

A kitchen knife

**>>A sacrificial knife**

**Question 2: What was an extremely strange thing about the murder scene?**

There was no corpse

**>>All the blood had been cleaned up**

The body discovery announcement played with only two people

**Question 3: What was the state of Yoshie’s body?**

On the floor and fully clothed

In the pews and wrapped in a blanket

**>>Laid on a table and covered with a tarp**

_ Complete! _

**Kohaku: ** Yoshie’s body had been given the ultimate amount of respect! Not only was he most likely killed with a sacrificial knife, and that all of the blood was wiped away...he had been laid on the chapel table and covered with a tarp!

**Hiroko: ** W-Wait. What’s so honorable about a sacrificial knife?

**Yuuki: ** Yoshie said something to us when we initially discovered the chapel on the third floor. When the conversation had moved over to the knife in question...

** _Akio: _ ** _ You do animal sacrifices? _

** _Yoshie: _ ** _ Yes, but only with that kind of knife. It is said to be purified and blessed by the goddess Minoa, and dying by it is an ultimate form of respect to the sacrifice. It means that the sacrifice is in Minoa’s good graces, and she will bless us with her love. _

**Yuuki: ** It’s obvious that in the religion of Luflority, the cause of death being pierced by such a holy knife is a huge deal of respect to the victim.

**Kohaku: ** So the killer, while they still murdered him, obviously held Yoshie in good graces.

**Shido: ** And...which brings us to our culprit. Their lie in the investigation actually sent us down the rabbit hole of blaming Daiki. Please tell me...who respected Yoshie, but whose account was also initially pivotal?

** _Kohaku: _ ** _ Who lied in their account, causing blame to go to Daiki...there’s no doubt about it. HE must be the killer! _

_ Shido Norihisa _

_ Hajime Weil _

_ Takehiko Juzaburo _

_ Tamotsu Sugita _

_ Yuuki Shunsho _

_ Hiroko Nariakira _

_ Asuka Akira _

_ Haruki Ryobe _

** _>>Akio Bussho_ **

_ The Yakuza _

_ The Mechanic _

_ The Princess _

_ Hope _

_ The Athlete _

_ Akihiko Kenjiro _

_ Yukio Izo _

_ Yuji Izo _

_ Daiki Sorai _

_ Kohaku Hikozaemon _

_ Kyou Shun _

_ Keiko Kanon _

_ Yoshie Kazushi _

** _Kohaku: _ ** _ You are suspect number one! _


	60. Chapter 4: 4th Class Trial-3

**Kohaku: ** Out of all the people whose account not only mattered in the trial, but respected Yoshie immensely...the only person I can think of is you, Akio!

**Akio: ** ...Wh...Th...The killer? M-Me?

**Hajime: ** Well, it wasn’t I who lied in my account. Besides, wasn’t it you who said Daiki went onto the third floor? It was your account that made everyone suspect him.

**Akio: ** I-I know, but...Something like that isn’t a basis for accusations!

**Daiki: ** Whoa, wait, though! Akio is one of us!

**Akihiko: ** And Hajime ain’t! He got dropped in a few days ago! That’s hella suspicious!

**Hajime: ** What?! Just because I only arrived in the killing game recently doesn’t mean I killed Yoshie!

**Akihiko: ** Well, I would certainly trust my life with him more than you!

**Yuuki: ** You all are ignoring the obvious. It was Akio that-

**Kyou: ** I will not believe our classmate lied over some new stranger! He has yet to earn our trust!

**Hajime: ** H-Hey! Like I said-

** _Monokuma: _ ** _ Time to swing into some scrumming! _

**Monokuma: ** Well, then! If we are to prove who lied, I guess it’s time for our multiplayer game! Everyone, stay still as your seats are rearranged!

** _Kohaku: _ ** _ There’s no evidence against Hajime, but a lot against Akio...Everyone just needs to see that! We must convince them about Akio! _

**SPLIT OPINION**

**Team Blanc:**

**Akio, Kyou, Hiroko, Akihiko, Daiki, the Mechanic**

**Team Noir:**

**Kohaku, Yukio, Yuuki, Hajime, Shido**

**Keywords:**

**Hajime: Spot**

**Hajime: Lie**

**Yuuki: Suspicious**

**Yuuki: Evidence**

**Kohaku: Respectful**

**Kohaku: Obvious**

**Yukio: Religion**

**Who lied about their accounts during their patrol?**

**Team Blanc: It was Hajime!**

**Team Noir: It was Akio!**

**DEBATE SCRUM START!**

**Daiki: ** Hajime is much more suspicious than Akio.

** _Kohaku: _ ** _ Yuuki! _

**Yuuki: ** He is definitely more  **suspicious** , but that means nothing about his innocence in this case.

**Kyou: ** And why didn’t he spot Daiki when he went to the first floor?

** _Kohaku: _ ** _ Hajime! _

**Hajime: ** I didn’t  **spot** him because he had been down there all along, probably.

**Hiroko: ** Hajime is certainly a respectful gentleman...

** _Kohaku: _ ** _ I’ll take care of this! _

**Kohaku: ** But Akio is a lot more  **respectful** than him!

**Kyou: ** Hajime probably adhered to Yoshie’s laws of religion as a frame-up.

** _Kohaku: _ ** _ Yukio! _

**Yukio: ** But Akio was much more interested in Yoshie’s  **religion** than anybody else, not Hajime.

**Akio: ** Why would I lie about Daiki being on the third floor?

** _Kohaku: _ ** _ Hajime! _

**Hajime: ** The reason to  **lie** was to cast doubt on both me and Daiki!

**Hiroko: ** But Akio wouldn’t be that obvious in covering up his tracks.

** _Kohaku: _ ** _ I’ll take care of this! _

**Kohaku: ** Akio had a lot of friendliness towards Yoshie. Of course his respect makes him  **obvious** !

**Akio: ** There is no conclusive evidence that I am a killer of any sort.

** _Kohaku: _ ** _ Yuuki! _

**Yuuki: ** Your respect towards the victim and obvious framing of Daiki is  **evidence** enough.

**FULL COUNTER**

** _Team Noir: _ ** _ THIS IS OUR ANSWER! _

** _BREAK!!_ **

**Kyou: ** But...it can’t be that...

**Yuuki: ** It is almost definite. The killer has to be Akio.

**Akio: ** But...to accuse your own classmate...of such a thing! You all...you all are despicable!

**Akihiko: ** Haven’t we done that, like, three times at this point?

**Hiroko: ** More if you count our false leads in the past. So we have accused classmates before.

**Akio: ** B-But...to lie to everyone...and tell me I took the life of Yoshie! Why would you ever do such a thing?!

**Yuuki: ** Crying will get you nowhere in this situation. You obviously lied about seeing Daiki.

** _Kohaku: _ ** _ He really did...He did do something very strange when describing his account. What did he do that messed up his lie...? _

He couldn’t see Daiki’s shadow if he was at the staircase

**>>He saw only Daiki’s shadow at the staircase**

He only inferenced that it was Daiki

** _Kohaku: _ ** _ I got it! _

**Kohaku: ** Yuuki’s right. If Akio had seen Daiki go up the stairs, that would mean he was at the staircases himself. He would have had visible sight of Daiki if his shadow was visible enough to be identified as him. Instead, Akio said he only saw his shadow!

**Shido: ** S-Something ambiguous, but at the same time damning...that’s what Akio was going for, you’re saying?

**Yuuki: ** Indeed. There was no possible way Daiki’s shadow would have been seen without Akio seeing Daiki himself. He played on the fact that the investigation needed ambiguity, otherwise, Daiki or somebody may realize that Akio was lying.

**Akio: ** I...I...I admit, the shadow being Daiki’s was a bit of a stretch, but...then that means it could have been anybody else! Not me! I wouldn't kill Yoshie! It was somebody else!

**Yuuki: ** Hm...That brings us to another part of the case we have let to solve. How did the killer get into the chapel?

** _Kohaku: _ ** _ How did the killer enter the chapel...what does Yuuki mean by that? _

_ State your case! _

**Truth Bullets:**

**Chapel Door [Science Lab Door]**

**Hajime’s Account [Hajime’s Lie]**

**Nighttime Alibis [Nighttime Lies]**

**Akio’s Account [Akio’s Lie]**

**Monokuma File #4 [Counselor File #4]**

**Yuuki: ** Think back to what we know.

**Yuuki: ** We have yet to know how the killer got into the chapel.

**Yukio: ** Well, that’s kind of easy.

**Yukio: ** They just  **walked in** , correct?

**Daiki: ** Yuuki’s implying that it isn’t that simple.

**Daiki: ** What’s the trick you’re getting at here?

**Hiroko: ** Maybe we should be thinking about  **the time of the murder** ?

**Yuuki: ** Hiroko’s getting warmer...

**Yuuki: ** Think, Kohaku. Yoshie was in the chapel  **praying** .

** _Kohaku: _ ** _ If Yoshie was praying in the chapel...He would have done a certain thing. Something a certain someone informed me about. _

**walked in ** \-  **Hajime’s Account**

** _Kohaku: _ ** _ No, that’s wrong! _

_ Break!! _

**Kohaku: ** The killer couldn’t just walk in! The door would have been locked!

**Shido: ** It...would’ve?

**Kohaku: ** Hajime told me this himself...and it’s the reason why he thought Yoshie was alive at around 2:00. You see, when Yoshie prayed in the chapel, he always locked the chapel door for privacy. There was never an exception.

**Kyou: ** Then if the door was locked...how did the killer get in?

**Yuuki: ** It’s easy when you think about it. Even the most simplest answers are sometimes true.

** _Kohaku: _ ** _ The simplest and most obvious answer...How did the killer get into the chapel when the door was locked? _

They used a window

They broke down the door

**>>They asked to be let in**

** _Kohaku: _ ** _ I got it! _

**Kohaku: ** There’s no other entry point besides the door, so they couldn’t do anything except...ask to be let in.

**Akihiko: ** What?! They did what?!

**Daiki: ** And Yoshie...listened to them? Why?

**Yuuki: ** A reason that support’s Hajime’s innocence, obviously, and condemns Akio. Think about the difference between them both. Think about their relationships with the people around them at this time.

** _Kohaku: _ ** _ How Hajime wouldn’t have been let in, but Akio was...why? _

Because Hajime smells bad

**>>Because Hajime is suspicious**

Because Hajime is an atheist

** _Kohaku: _ ** _ I got it! _

**Kohaku: ** Hajime wouldn’t be let in because of a lack of trust between him and Yoshie.

**Yuuki: ** Exactly. A new motive had just been released, of the darkest secret of a random person being given to you. Then, the most suspicious person knocks on your locked door while you’re alone at night and asks to be let in. Would you do so?

**Kyou: ** No! Nobody would!

**Hajime: ** I feel like I’m being jabbed at here...

**Yuuki: ** In comparison, if your most trustworthy friend who is not only protective of you, as demonstrated a few times, but is interested in your religion, does the exact same thing? You would trust them in a heartbeat.

**Shido: ** So Akio...took advantage of Yoshie’s trust in him and used it to kill him! And Hajime couldn’t have done it because of that lack of trust!

**Hajime: ** See? I’m innocent! Akio is the blackened!

**Akio: ** ......

**Yuuki: ** Well, Akio? What can you say for yourself?

**Daiki: ** There’s no convincing us otherwise now...only you could have entered the chapel if it was locked.

**Akio: ** I...I...I cannot accept this! I won’t allow you to sully my name like this! I’m not the blackened! I would never kill dear Yoshie! I would have never let it come to be! You must believe me!

**Kohaku: ** You still don’t get your back is against the wall? Geez...you’re a tough egg to crack.

** _Reasoning Retaliation Start!_ **

** _Phase 1:_ **

** _I am as innocent as the rest!_ **

** _It was either Hajime or Daiki!_ **

** _I have conclusive evidence for Daiki!_ **

** _And Hajime is too suspicious!_ **

** _I won’t let you carry on!_ **

** _Phase 2:_ **

** _Your conclusions are entirely false!_ **

** _There is no way I killed Yoshie!_ **

** _A good and sweet man like him..._ **

** _What devil would ever wish death upon him?_ **

** _Not me! It would never be me!_ **

** _Phase 3:_ **

** _No, no, no, no, no!_ **

** _You all are being deceived!_ **

** _I just want us all to survive!_ **

** _Why won’t you understand?!_ **

** _Why would I ever want Yoshie to die?!_ **

** _If I did kill him...where would I have been? Answer me with your best shot!_ **

**YOU SET UP MECHANISM**

**THEN CLEANED SCENE,**

**AND WAITED OUTSIDE**

**UNTIL FIRST FLOOR WAS CLEAR**

** _NOOOOOOOO!_ **

_ Break!! _

**Kohaku: ** You were at first on the third floor, setting up the locked room mechanism and cleaning up the whole crime scene. Then, once Hajime left, you used the laundry sheets and rain boots, then went out the third floor window! You waited until Daiki and Hajime left the first floor, then put the laundry room sheets in the laundry and went to your room, leaving the rain boots in the entrance hall! That is exactly what you did after the murder!

**Akio: ** AAAAAAAGH!

**Kyou: ** Akio...it is over. Please stop fighting.

**Akio: ** No...No! That isn’t...why would I...why would I...h-hurt Yoshie...Why did I...Why did I hurt him...

**Hajime: ** Akio...

**Yuuki: ** Then that is it? You confess to it?

**Akio: ** I...yes. I confess. I murdered Yoshie. I killed him, like a cruel puppet of despair...I-I killed him in a moment where he trusted me the most...! *hic* *sob*

**Yuuki: ** Then it is time, Kohaku. Shall we?

**Kohaku: ** Yea. Let’s close up this class trial.

** _Kohaku: _ ** _ Here’s our closing act! _

**“Last night, there were three people awake and patrolling the school to ensure our safety. These three were Daiki, Hajime, and our culprit. However, our culprit deviated from the patrols, and went to the locked chapel. Because of the motive announcement, the victim, Yoshie Kazushi, probably wouldn’t have let mostly anybody in. However, since the culprit was his closest friend, he didn’t think twice about opening the door for him. He was unprepared when the culprit picked up the sacrificial knife the chapel and killed him with it.**

**“The killer made sure the door was locked, and began to clean up the crime scene. He mopped up all of the blood, and covered Yoshie’s body with a tarp. His respect towards the body was one of the ways we found him. Then, he took the sermon podium, and tied a string from it to the banister. He placed one of the candles of the chapel onto the banister, so when it melted, its hot wax would cut the rope. Then, he left, and later on, the rope would snap, and the podium blocked the door, creating a locked-room mystery.**

**“The killer took not only a pair of rain boots from the science lab, but the laundry room sheets Yoshie had brought up. Then, they tied the sheets into one rope, then used it to get out of the school by use of the third floor window. They then ran to the front of the school, using the rain boots on their feet to pin the blame on the only person they properly fit, Daiki. However, they tripped a few times, leaving evidence of foul play.**

**“They had to wait until not only Hajime left the first floor on patrol, but Daiki to wake up from a nap he was taking in the entrance hall. He patiently waited outside until they both left, then left the rain boots in the entrance hall and put the laundry room sheets in the laundry room. He then returned to this room to sleep the rest of the night.**

**“The next morning, once the body was discovered by me, Shido, and Hajime, the killer already had a plan. They said that they saw Daiki go up to the third floor to pin more of the suspicion on him. However, he didn’t realize that Daiki had no way of getting in or out of the church because of the very locked-room mystery setup he created. The manufacturer shot by his own bullets, indeed.**

**“The killer of Yoshie Kazushi and the blackened of this case...can only be Akio Bussho, the Ultimate Archer!”**

**COMPLETE!!**

**Kohaku: ** Well, Akio?

**Akio: ** What...What do I even say? Everything is against me. I have to give up. I can’t lie my way out of this now, can I?

**Hiroko: ** At least you are a graceful loser. You accept your fate with dignity.

**Akio: ** Heh...it surprises me that I am the only blackened so far whose done so.

**Monokuma: ** Oh, save the mushy stuff for later, guys! It’s time for voting! Everyone, please make your choice on your preferred suspect on your button sheet! And don’t abstain, or you’ll go with ‘em! Who’s it gonna be?! What’s gonna be the result?!

_ The buttons light up as everyone pressed on them. The screen shows a unanimous vote for Akio. It’s over. _


	61. Chapter 4: 4th Class Trial-4

“Wow, wow, wow! Four in a row! You all are on a roll! That’s right! The killer of Yoshie Kazushi is the one and only Akio Bussho!”

So it really was true. Despite all of their friendliness before today, being those two guys in the back of the crowd...Akio turned on Yoshie. In the end, he betrayed his trust and murdered him.

Akio stood away from everybody else. He seemed genuinely remorseful. Tears were rolling down his cheeks, and he made no effort to hide them. He stared at his hands, as if they were covered in the Ultimate Caretaker’s blood.

Hiroko was staring at Akio. “I...cannot believe it. Out of all the people to have killed him...”

“Motivation or how close they were doesn’t matter,” Yuuki said. “In the end, Akio took advantage of it and killed Yoshie.”

“B-But why?” Shido questioned. “I don’t understand...why!”

“Does it have...something to do with the motive?” Hajime questioned.

Hajime was probably dead on. The anonymous batch of everybody’s deepest secret handed out at random. There could be no other visible cause for Akio having turned against Yoshie. He must have suspected him of having his terrible secret.

Daiki frowned. “Akio? Was it the motive?”

“...Somebody here works directly with the mastermind of the Killing Game Season.”

...What? Somebody...beyond the mastermind is working against them all in this place? There’s...not one, but two enemies in their midst?!

“What?!” Kohaku exclaimed a little too loudly.

“Somebody here works directly with the mastermind of the Killing Game Season!” Akio repeated. “That was the anonymous secret I was given! The secret of a traitor amongst us!”

Yukio paled. “A...A...traitor?”

“And they work with the...person that caused this killing game?” Kyou questioned. “Who? Who is it?!”

“I don’t know!” Akio suddenly sobbed. “I couldn’t know, I couldn’t tell! I was...I was freaking out. I was panicking. I turned to the first and only person I can completely trust...!”

_ Yoshie looked up from his prayers at a knock, and looked towards the door. Standing up, he walked down the rows of pews. However, he stopped in front of the door, not moving to unlock it at first. _

_ “Who is it?” _

_ “It is just me. Akio. I wanted to talk. Can we? I’ll respect your decision if you do not wish to.” _

_ Yoshie didn’t hesitate anymore, and unlocked the door. Akio slipped in, giving a small thank you, and the Ultimate Caretaker closed and locked the door behind him. Akio sat himself in one of the pews, staring at his hands. _

_ Yoshie sat next to him. “Are you well?” He asked. _

_ “I am...mostly. I must admit, I’ve been extremely worried lately. I sought you out because...well, you are the person I can trust the most here, to be honest. And besides, you would not lie or doubt in a church, would you?” _

_ Yoshie chuckled softly. “No. I would not. Are you here to pray, then?” _

_ “Do you think it will help me?” _

_ “Perhaps.” _

_ “Then yes. I will try praying.” _

_ Both of them got up from the pews and approached the stage. The statue of the goddess stayed poised in her praying position, staring ahead at nothing. Both of them got down on her knees, holding their hands in the exact same formation. _

_ Neither of them spoke. Instead, they called out to Minoa within their mind. They asked for her wisdom and love within these dark times. And slowly, they relaxed. _

_ Akio lifted his head a bit, opening his eyes. He looked over at Yoshie, who hasn’t moved at all. However, when he felt Akio watching, he looked over as well. _

_ “Do you feel calmer now?” Yoshie asked. _

_ Akio smiled. “Yes, indeed. I will admit, I feel as if I needed a moment with myself and the spiritual realm. Thank you, Yoshie.” _

_ “Are you to divulge in me what your worries are?” _

_ Akio nodded slowly. “Yes...the motive. Gaining a random person’s darkest secret. What I got is...well, it’s making me worry on who to trust.” _

_ Yoshie frowned. “I will not force you to trust me, but...Know that I can and will carry the burdens of everyone here if I could.” He looked up at the statue. “To make up for it...” _

_ “...It?” Akio stood up. _

_ Yoshie chuckled. “Somebody here knows my darkest secret personally.” He bowed his head. “They know what I’ve done...whose trust I betrayed.” _

_ Akio began to back away, shaking his head slowly. “Are you...?” _

_ “Is it good if I share my secret with you? I trust you.” When there was no response, Yoshie nodded slowly. “Answer by silence. I believe that is a yes. Very well...my darkest secret is...” He looked downcast. “I betrayed a large group of people.” He paused, then gulped. “I betrayed them to save a large majority of the orphanage.”  _

_ Yoshie continued on by murmuring, believing Akio could still hear him. However, the archer was at the table before the goddess a distance away, grabbing the knife without a sheath from it with shaky hands. He couldn’t hear the rest of Yoshie’s story. He didn’t want to. _

_ “You...” _

_ Yoshie looked up. “Huh? Akio?” _

_ “YOU BETRAYED US AAAAAAAAAALL!” Akio rushed at Yoshie while screaming. _

_ “Aki-?! AKIOOOOOO!” _

Akio gripped his podium to stabilize himself, shaking while hiccuping. Everyone stared at him, unsure of what to say after that.

“Yoshie was...he betrayed us?” Daiki questioned.

“And I knew it was him because...because in that moment...I knew I had his secret! I knew he was the traitor! I-I couldn’t let him...I couldn’t let him go! I had to kill him!” Akio hiccupped. “I...never heard what he said next. I don’t know whether it was an explanation or an apology...”

Monokuma interrupted him. “Hey! At least get your facts right! You didn’t receive Yoshie’s secret!”

Akio froze abruptly. “Wh...What...?”

“Daiki got Yoshie’s secret! I know that for a fact! You got somebody else’s entirely!”

“Th...Then...Y-Yoshie...wasn’t...?!”

Daiki was paling. “My...My secret...the one I got was...‘Somebody here betrayed the trust of some they watched over to protect the rest of them.’”

“...Yoshie...wasn’t...he wasn’t...” Akio suddenly gave an ear-splitting scream of raw agony, falling to his knees over this information.

Everyone only watched him. Nobody made a move to comfort him in any way. Nobody wanted to. Nobody knew how to. How do you reassure someone that they didn’t know they had just killed their best friend over pointless paranoia and false accusations?

Monokuma sighed. “All Yoshie did was sell out a group of orphan boys when they stole something valuable from a church to sell for a quick buck! He didn’t betray any of his beloved classmates!” He sighed. “Oh, I love it when things get spectacularly worse. That’s why meaningless deaths are a favorite of mine!”

Akio was shaking. “If...If I had stayed next to Yoshie...instead of going for the knife...I-I would have heard...the rest of his story...”

“Akio...” Shido murmured. “I...”

“So Yoshie’s death happened because of miscommunication,” Yuuki said. “All because of paranoia and the unwillingness to hear somebody out. This could have all been avoided if you just listened to what Yoshie had to say.”

“Yuuki!” Akihiko exclaimed. “Don’t make him feel worse than he already does!”

“No...No, I...I deserve this,” Akio replied. “I deserve whatever comes forth to me. Yoshie must hate me...I’m probably barred from whatever heaven exists out there...I deserve purgatory!”

“There’s a difference between hell and purgatory,” Monokuma stated. “Hell is a permanent residence. Purgatory is brutal torture to atone for sins. Murder is not a sin one can atone from!”

“Shut up!” Yukio yelled. “Just shut up, you stupid bear!”

“DON’T TRY AND DEFEND ME!” Akio shouted as tears poured down his face. “I deserve the punishment Monokuma has prepared for me! So stop saying that I do not! Stop trying to stall my due!” Akio abruptly turned away from everyone. “Monokuma! Start my punishment!”

“Akio!” Daiki yelled.

“Wow! What an eager blackened! Very well! Now then, I've prepared a very special punishment for Akio Bussho, the Ultimate Archer!”

“Akio, stop!” Hiroko yelled.

“There is no stopping punishment!” Hajime retorted. “He’s just going to die!”

“I don’t want to be here anymore!” Akio sobbed. “I want to die! Just let me face my sins without having to see you all cry!”

“Let’s give it everything we’ve got! Iiiiiiit’s punishment tiiiiime!”

“...Yoshie...do not forgive me. I do not...deserve to be in any god’s graces.”

**AKIO HAS BEEN FOUND GUILTY.**

**TIME FOR THE PUNISHMENT!**

_ A large carnival stand was set up, filled with bottle towers and ring toss. In the center, a large red and white wheel was set up, Akio strapped to it in an X formation. _

_ Both the Mechanic and Monokuma were at the stand. The Mechanic was holding a few darts in his fingers. Meanwhile, Monokuma was dressed in a carnival manager’s outfit, tipping his hat and pointing his cane at the restrained Akio. _

_ The Mechanic took a stance, then threw a dart. It landed right in Akio’s shoulder, making him cringe in pain. A thin trickle of blood began to drip down as he watched the Mechanic. _

_ Suddenly, Monokuma pulled out a whole crate of darts, placing them in front of the Mechanic. The Mechanic picked up a whole cluster of them, grinning with his sharp teeth. Akio, however, looked horrified at this. _

** _AKIO’S EXECUTION_ **

** _CARNIVAL GAME - HIT THE BULLSEYE!_ **

_ The Mechanic threw them one at a time, at first. All of them hit Akio dead on, whether in the limbs, chest, stomach, or face. Droplets of blood fell to the ground as tiny bits began to visibly appear on his body. _

_ The Mechanic slowly began to pick up speed, going faster and faster and faster...Soon, his arm couldn’t be visibly seen. It was just a blur as he churned out darts like a turret gun. _

_ The darts were sinking right into Akio’s body. It was beginning to get numb, the feeling of multiple needles puncturing every inch of his frontal body, at this point. Blood was dripping onto the floor and down his clothes, turning the shades of green he wore into a congealed, brown mess. _

_ Finally, the Mechanic ran out of darts. He looked into the crate in a quizzical and annoyed manner, then shoved it away. He looked upset as he crossed his arms, staring at Akio and the darts buried into his body. Then, his face fell into one of shock, seeing Akio’s state. _

_ Then, Monokuma pulled out an extremely large dart. It was the size of the Mechanic’s arm. It was shoved into his grip, making him stumble back a bit. He slowly hefted it over his shoulder to be able to hold it properly. _

_ The Mechanic looked at Akio, face crestfallen. Then, he looked at Monokuma besides him, who pointed the cane at Akio again. He looked back again, then took a step back and threw. _

_ Blood spurted out as the dart struck Akio right in the chest. He went limp, and his head hung forward. The shimmer of life in his half-opened eyes died out. _

_ The Mechanic hopped over the counter and stared up at Akio. He looked immensely sad at the sight of the dead high schooler. Slowly, he observed every dart he threw that made it into his flesh. He pulled out one, staring at the carnival-like painting on it. _

_ Monokuma clapped, and shoved a stuffed animal version of him in a Victorian dress into the Mechanic’s arms. He looked surprised as the bear set up a camera tripod, pointing it at both him and the corpse to commemorate this moment with a photo. _

_ The Mechanic stared at the camera, unsure of what to do. Then, he slowly hugged the Monokuma plushie close. He gave a peace sign, smiling with a bit of force to it. _

_ Behind him, the wheel snapped off of its holder and began to lean forward. The Mechanic heard a creaking noise, and looked behind him once a shadow crossed over him. All he saw was red just before the wheel smashed onto him, and a huge splash of blood rose up. _

_ Monokuma took a picture in that moment. Slowly, the old-time camera dispensed a photo. He took it out and waved it in the air. Then, he pinned it at the top of the carnival stand, the scene of the wheel with both Akio and the Mechanic’s pulverized bodies under it and blood flowing out by the second. _

“Such a...long and dragged out suffering...” Hiroko whimpered.

Hiroko was right. It wasn’t about the intensity of the pain. It was how brutal and dragged-out it was that counted. Just like Haruki had been drowned in acid and the Yakuza being slowly picked at with numerous harmful objects, Akio had the pain of a thousand needles.

Shido sniffled. “Even when...I didn’t participate, somebody...”

“It doesn’t matter,” Yuuki stated. “Somebody would die for the murder. No matter what you do, if you participate or not, one or more people would be executed, in the end.”

“I know, but...this was so meaningless! Y-Yoshie didn’t need to die, and neither did Akio! This was all because of...a misunderstanding?!”

Monokuma sighed. “Come on, there! Chin up! At least it wasn't you! In this killing game, it’s either you or them! And really, that’s how the world works! No matter how changed or pacifistic a country becomes, it will always have the core of only the most successful and the most strong able to make it! Somebody like you wouldn’t last a day out there!” He chuckled. “Puhuhuhu...in a fit of irony, your only chance of survival and a successful life is within the walls of a killing game!”

Shido hiccupped. “Shut up...just shut up! I can’t take this! Not anymore!”

“Oh? Can’t take it? Whatcha gonna do? Kill me? Kill someone else? Ooh, I’m excited to see what your breaking point is!”

Yuuki suddenly grabbed Shido. “If you will say nothing else, we will leave.”

Shido looked surprised. “Y...Yuuki?!”

“And let this be a fair warning to everybody else...these murders are becoming more and more pointless. You all are being played as fools.”

“And you aren’t?” Kyou questioned. “You are in the same situation of questions with no answers, just as we are!”

“Not exactly,” Yuuki suddenly said.

Monokuma...paused. “...Oh?”

“I have already finished my conclusion. I just need for you all to catch up.”

“Then...do you...?” Kohaku questioned.

“I know for almost certain who the mastermind and their traitor is. It’s up to you all to reach the same conclusion as I.”

“You don’t know that!”

Yuuki smiled at Monokuma. “Eh? What are you, taken off guard? Surprised I’m not braindead?”

“Well...I mean...” Monokuma cleared his throat. “You all are dismissed!”

He knows for almost certain? There’s no way. He had to be bluffing, right? How could he possibly know who the mastermind and the traitor were when Kohaku didn’t?

Kohaku felt offended. She wasn’t about to be outmatched by some petri dish-grown fetus. She was going to find the truth of Monolith Valley first, no matter what!

As they rode on the bus to the way back, Kohaku was already planning it all. How to distract Monokuma. Who to trust to cause the distraction. What time to do it. And how long of an estimate would it take to turn the Yakuza’s room inside out for an answer of any kind.

Her mind went back to the note. She had read it that exact night when the exploring was over. It made no sense. It was just gibberish.

What does ‘RNZOREV’ mean? Is it some sort of mechanical equipment? A callsign? It could be a code of some kind, but what?

Anyways, it doesn’t matter now. Screw Hajime’s warning. She was breaking into the Yakuza’s room.

She caught Shido before he could go and see Nagito down the road. “Hey, Shi-Shi? Can I ask of you a favor?”

Shido looked confused. “Huh? Um...yea. What’s the big deal?”

Kohaku leaned in to whisper in his ear, and Shido gasped a bit. “I need you to distract Monokuma. For about five minutes or so.”

Shido reeled back a bit. “Huh? Wh-What?”

“Just do it. Preferably not on the first floor.”

“O...Okay,” Shido said. “I can do that...I think. But why?”

“Listen, can you please just do it for me? We can talk later. This is important.”

“Okay. I believe you!” Shido nodded. “I’ll do it!”

“Great! I knew I could trust you, Shi-Shi!”

Kohaku liked Shido. He was probably her favorite in the group. She didn’t know why. He was a coward. Maybe because he was just so cute and somewhat innocent, though gullible.

Kohaku ducked down the dorm room hallways. She had to work fast. She had five minutes, at best. And that’s if Shido was interesting enough to Monokuma for that long.

Finally, she got to the counselor dorm rooms. None of them had any sort of difference from each other. Not even a name plaque was on any of them. Would it have to be trial and error with the jade key?

However, she noticed something. On all of the doorknobs, only one of them had a visible lock. It was the door all the way on the right. The one that you immediately saw once you turned the bend into the small hallway.

Kohaku looked over her shoulder at the camera. It's now or never. No backing down now. She pulled out the jade key and put it into the lock.

With a satisfying click, the key turned smoothly, and the door opened. Kohaku was met with darkness as she went inside. Immediately, she grabbed for the light switch. Finally finding it, she flicked it upwards.

The Yakuza’s room was fairly standard. In fact, it looked almost identical to the normal student’s room. There was initially nothing of interest. However, there was a new piece of furniture.

It was a fairly simple-looking drawer, sturdy and made of metal. Nothing was on top of it. However, it stuck out so sorely, Kohaku was naturally attracted to it.

She began to open the drawers one by one. Files upon files. All of them with different numerical codes, like the inventory of a scientist. Some were brown, others were a tannish color. All of them had different amounts of paper in them.

She couldn’t take them all. This was a once in a blue moon chance. She needed to get one that really mattered.

In the bottom file, she found it. This file was colored black. And it had a green snake insignia on it. And a name plaque on it was labelled ‘Fuyuhiko Weil’. It was so obvious, like it wanted to be found by her.

There was no time to read it in the Yakuza’s room. She shoved it up her shirt, closing the drawer. Then, moving as fast as she could, she got out of the room. She made sure to lock it behind her, fumbling a bit with the key in her hurry.

The second-floor game room. There were no cameras in there. That was the only safe place she could check this file. Anywhere else could alert Monokuma, if he already wasn’t alerted. She had banked a lot on Shido and her own luck.

Up on the second floor, she caught a glimpse of Monokuma darting out of sight. Shido was standing there, his expression between nervousness and concern.

“Shi-Shi!” Kohaku waved hello.

Shido lit up. “Kohaku!” He bounded over. “How did...” He glanced over at the cameras. “How did it go?”

“Just fine!” Kohaku waved a hand. “You gotta stop worrying about everything I do! I saw you talk to Monokuma.”

Shido nodded. “Yea...His subjects of interest are very macabre. They were hard to digest!”

“I salute you for your sacrifice!” Kohaku joked, then patted Shido’s arm. “I was gonna go play some games.”

“C-Can I join?”

“Erm...Sorry. I was going to play singleplayer ones. But I can talk about how good they are tomorrow!”

Shido got the message and nodded. “Okay. I hope you have great suggestions tomorrow.”

Kohaku watched Shido go to the stairs and head down, probably to bed. He was a really good partner in these kinds of things. Yea, Kohaku liked him the most for sure.

Kohaku went inside the game room. She made sure nobody was around, then sat down at a table. Pulling out the file from under her shirt, she looked it over.

Fuyuhiko Weil. It made sense. That had to be the Yakuza’s real name. That last name Weil...it had to be the last name of every counselor’s, by that logic. They all were family. Probably siblings.

No point in lingering on it. It was time to discover the truth that she’s been wishing for since the beginning of the game. Kohaku opened the file.

The first paper in it was a letter. It had extremely well handwriting. Kohaku pulled it out first, and began to read.

What...was this? All of these terms...made no sense. And the name of the person who wrote the letter wasn’t familiar to her, either. The name wasn’t even of a Japanese ethnicity.

Kohaku shoved aside the letter, and began shifting through the files. She tried to focus, but her mind was running wild. All she was doing was picking up on key terms in each of the sixteen person files and the other informative documents.

...

No...

No, this can’t be the truth. This can’t be the truth Kohaku was looking for!

Then Shido is...and Yuuki is...EVERYBODY is...

Kohaku wasn’t sure to call them that anymore.

She wasn’t even sure of her own self anymore.

**Chapter 4: Being a Hero Makes You a Villain**

**REMAINING STUDENTS:**

Shido Norihisa

Kohaku Hikozaemon

Yuuki Shunsho

Yukio Izo

Daiki Sorai

Hiroko Nariakira

Akihiko Kenjiro

Kyou Shun

Hajime Weil

**9 STUDENTS REMAINING**

** _ITEM GET: Victoriankuma_ **

** _A stuffed Monokuma that confirms the completion of Chapter 4. The Mechanic won it in the revolutionary game, “Hit the Bullseye!”, from Mono Co.!_ **


	62. Chapter 5-1: Your Reflection Reveals Brutal Regrets

_ Ding dong, ding dong... _

_ “Attention, everybody! It is now eight AM, which means it’s time to get up and embrace the morning! I hope you all have a spectacular day here in Monolith Valley Summer School!” _

Shido never had a single spectacular day here anymore. Whether by some means or another, it was ruined. It was usually by a motive announcement or a body discovery. But lately, there’s been...some other third thing.

It wasn’t physical, but mentally, Shido felt something was wrong. Like something was just so off in the summer school that a horrible feeling never left him.

Trying to shrug it off, Shido prepared himself for the day, reapplying his makeup. Pulling on his boots, he went over to the door and began to open it.

“...Their deaths weren’t caused by being in the wrong place at the wrong time?”

Shido froze. That was Yuuki’s voice. He didn’t open the door the rest of the way, instead listening close.

“No. It was 100% planned. I’m sure of it. It had to have been a premeditated murder. Otherwise, he would have died as well.”

That was Kohaku’s voice. But what were they talking about? Was it one of the murders that have occurred here? Which one?

“I don’t understand. How do you know that?”

There was silence, then a murmur. Shido couldn’t pick up what Kohaku was saying. He tried to open the door a bit more to hear more.

“...How did you...!?” Yuuki questioned loudly. Kohaku only whispered more, inaudible to Shido. “...You...Kohaku...”

Kohaku finally spoke normally again. “So whaddaya say? An alliance? To expose the mastermind?”

“...And you say...you know everything?”

“Everything. Even about Shido.” Kohaku sounded disgusted. “Him...”

“...You shouldn’t know that,” Yuuki said. “Or not let it change your view of him.”

“I don’t care. He’s scum to me. And he should be to everybody here, regardless of what they know.”

Shido froze. His body began to shake as he stared at the floor. His brain shut down the moment Kohaku cruelly denoted him.

This was it. It finally happened. His so-called “friends” turned on him. He had been so caught up in her illusions of friendliness that he forgot it always happened to him. He was always betrayed and turned against.

Yuuki spoke again. “You don’t know the whole story.”

“Then tell me! Tell me what the so-called other side is!”

“...I can’t...exactly explain his actions-”

“Exactly. He’s unforgivable. And I will never think otherwise of him!” There was a shaky breath, and a chipper tone returned to her voice. “Now, then! What do you think? We both know the story, and both the mastermind and the traitor!”

Yuuki paused. “Well...I want to know if you are right. Who is the traitor, to you?”

There was a small murmur again, and Yuuki gasped. Shido tried to lean to hear more, and he pressed the door open.

“Wh-Who’s there?” Yuuki called.

Shido tried to play it off. He opened the door the rest of the way as normally as he could. “Huh? Oh. H-Hey, Koko. Hey, Yuuki.”

Kohaku paused. “...Koko?”

“Well...you give nicknames to dear friends, right?”

Shido watched as Kohaku scoffed. “I’m not your friend, Shido. And I wish I never was.”

There was no acting to Shido’s face falling. “...What? Kohaku?”

Yuuki looked worried. “Kohaku, he doesn’t-"

“Shut up!” Kohaku snapped. “He’s not somebody I want to look at anymore.” She sighed, then shoved past him towards the dining hall. “Out of my way.”

“Nngh-!” Shido stumbled, letting her go by. He watched her go, her back to him and not looking back on this.

Yuuki placed a hand on Shido’s arm. “Shi-Shi.” Shido looked at Yuuki giving a sympathetic look. “I want to talk to you-”

Shido yanked away his arm, tears in his eyes. “Don’t touch me!”

“Shido?” Yuuki watched Shido run back into his room. “Wait! Shido!”

Shido slammed the door behind him and locked it. Rushing to the bed, he threw himself under the covers, not taking off anything before he began to sob.

Why has he so stupid this time? It was always the time. They always betray and leave him in the end. Why did he let himself get attached when the outcome was expected?

Shido hates Monolith Valley. He’s the laughingstock. He’s just a weak, useless, gullible tool for everybody else. Asuka, Tamotsu, Kohaku...They used him as a means to an end. And everybody else probably just laughs at him behind his back.

And it doesn’t matter if he’s good in trials. Kohaku’s been doing it since the third trial, where he simultaneously lost everybody’s trust. Everybody’s relied on her and hated him since.

Maybe somebody should just kill him and remove the dead weight of the group. He should have died instead of anybody else. Takehiko, Keiko, Tamotsu, Yuji, Akio...he should have been killed in any of their places. There was nobody out there that would miss him. His family would be glad to know if he’s dead.

What was there to live for, anyways? Humanity was corrupt and killing itself over silly topics. Religion, money, property, it was all the same story. He didn’t want to live in a world where everything was tearing each other apart over stupid things like liking the same gender or having a different opinion on some controversial topic.

Shido didn’t want to live anymore.

**Chapter 5: Your Reflection Reveals Brutal Regrets**


	63. Chapter 5-2: Your Reflection Reveals Brutal Regrets

_ Knock, knock, knock... _

Shido slowly peeked out of the covers. His mascara had run down into multiple lines going down his cheeks. He swallowed a sob, and looked towards the door.

Slowly, he shuffled out of bed, sniffling. He walked over to the door slowly. He put his hand on the doorknob and slowly creaked it open.

Hajime was standing there, immediately seeing the running makeup. “Have...you been crying?”

“M...Mmhmm.” Shido nodded. “You can...come in.”

Hajime slowly stepped inside, looking over Shido. He must look like a mess. His clothes were ruffled, his hair was unkempt, and the mascara kept running with the tears that were still pouring out of his eyes.

“Can we...talk?” Hajime asked.

“Um...S-Sure,” Shido said. “What...do you want to talk about?”

“Listen...Kohaku’s told us a few things, and I wanted to talk with you about them.” Hajime frowned. “For one...is your name really Shido Norihisa?”

Shido paused. “What...o-of course it is. Why would I lie about it?”

Hajime seemed to think, placing his fingers on his chin. “Okay...I can tell you’re not lying about that. You seem really confused.”

“I-I am! Why would Kohaku say I’m not Shido Norihisa?”

“Because she claims that your real name is-”

At once, a powerful, splitting headache overcame Shido. He screamed suddenly, clutching his head as white engulfed his vision and a loud ringing occurred in his ears. He felt himself hit the floor and Hajime yell something, though he couldn’t discern what.

_ “‘Ey, Deimos. ‘Ey, Takumi. Didn’t know you smoked.” _

_ “It’s a bad habit. I know. You need something?” _

_ “I was going to ask you to come out with me. Your dads have already agreed. I just need you.” _

_ “What for?” _

_ “I don’t think Andal’s dead.” _

“...do! Shido!” Hajime was shaking Shido. He could see that a few others have run in. “Shido, are you alright?!”

Shido was holding his head, shaking. “I’m not me. I’m not me. I don’t know who I am, but I’m not me.”

“Shido, snap out of it, man!” Yukio yelled over him. “You’re speakin’ nonsense!”

Hiroko made Yukio pause. “Yukio, wait. I can sense that his soul is in turmoil. Something's happened to him.”

Hajime was cradling Shido now, who was whimpering and repeating the same thing over and over like a broken record. He felt extremely light, but at the same time heavy. He was clutching his head, almost tearing out his hair from the strain.

Everybody was staring with sympathy at him. Meanwhile, Kohaku was standing farther back, watching the scene unfold. The corners of her mouth dipped into a frown, and her eyes softened for a moment. However, she blinked the tears away immediately and returned to a stoic expression.

_ Ding dong, ding dong... _

_ “This is an emergency announcement, students! Please gather within the main hall immediately! There is important information to discuss!” _

Several things happened in that moment. Shido suddenly stopped crying and shaking in Hajime’s arms. Kohaku looked up at the TV, as if expecting this outcome. And Hajime himself looked appalled, then fearful, all in the span of about three seconds.

“An important...announcement?” Daiki questioned. “Why? What’s going on?”

“What did you do.”

“...What?” Yuuki asked.

“What did you guys do?!” Hajime screamed. “What the hell is going on?!”

Shido suddenly got up, makeup still smudging on his face. “We...need to go.”

Kyou blinked. “Shi...Shido?”

“What?” Shido asked dully. “I’ve had my time to cry, haven’t I?”

There were so many things wrong in this picture. Why has Shido suddenly snapped into an emotionless state? Why was Hajime freaking out? And why did Kohaku look like she was expecting this?

“Shido?” Daiki asked. “Why did you freak out?”

“...No reason. There is nothing for you to worry about. There is nothing for us to worry about. That is final.” Shido walked out, tears still going down his face.

Something was horribly wrong within Monolith Valley, and it was not the killing game.


	64. Chapter 5-3: Your Reflection Reveals Brutal Regrets

Shido stumbled down the dorm room hall. He couldn’t remember why he had broken down into tears. He didn’t understand why he had. But it doesn’t matter. He just had to go to the emergency meeting. That was all.

Once he arrived, he duly noted that none of the counselors were alive anymore. In contrast, about 9 or so students were still alive, down by 8. 7 if you count Hajime as an addition that negates a subtraction.

Monokuma was sitting on the table in the main hall, having been waiting for them. He watched the students enter one by one, looking around and at him.

Kyou crossed his arms. “Well?” He asked. “We were in the middle of something a bit important!”

Monokuma immediately looked irritated. “Heeey! This is important! Don’t be rude to your headmaster!”

“Get on with it, then!” Yukio agreed. “There’s matters between all of us!”

“Oh, ya mean about Shido?” Monokuma questioned. “How he’s a ruthless murderer?”

Shido snapped out of his emotionless funk, and his eyes went wide. He stared at Monokuma, as if expecting him to admit he was lying. However, Monokuma seemed to only wait for a response from the students.

“Y-Yea,” Daiki admitted. “That’s exactly what Kohaku told us.”

“Kohaku, yes?” Monokuma asked. “How did you know that, Kohaku? Where did you learn such personal information?”

Kohaku’s response came out clean and easy. “I mean, he was on the news, man! He murdered somebody! That shiz was a breaking headline! The only reason why I didn’t bring it up earlier was because I didn’t recognize him until now!”

That had to be...a lie. Shido doesn’t remember being on the news for any sort of news. Being a murderer...that was...a lie, right?

“That being said, if you know the whole story, can you tell us?” Kohaku asked. “Pretty please?”

Monokuma sighed. “This meeting is for other issues...”

“Oh, please, Headmaster!” Kohaku begged. “You’re such a trustworthy source! You never lie!”

“Oh, stop it!” Monokuma blushed. “You’re such a sweetie! Very well! Since you’re begging me so much...You’re right. Shido Norihisa never existed at all. It’s a facade for a murderer to hide from the law. I don’t know how he tricked his way into Hope’s Peak Academy.”

“No!” Shido yelled. “Th-That’s a lie! I have memories of my family! Of the Norihisas!”

“Shido Norihisa...his reason for joining the summer school was to escape. Not from his family, but from his lawful pursuers!”

“Shut up! No! He’s lying!”

“Shido Norihisa’s real identity is...”

“SHUT UUUUUUUP!!” Shido screamed.

“His real identity is a murderer, a hated scumbag of the ages!”

Shido gave a painful wail, holding his head while sobbing. He fell to his knees, ducking his head to the floor.

The third trial wasn’t acting. It had been his real self. And Shido didn’t even realize it. He never lingered on how good the act had been. It was the true person within himself.

He remembered everything.

_ “You are sure?” _

_ “Of course. Hope’s Peak Academy will be happy to take in an intelligent mind as yours.” _

_ “Even when I have murdered a man? You all are insane.” _

_ “Insane is in the eye of the beholder. Of course, you would need to lay low for a while, even once your memories are repressed and your physical features are altered.” _

_ “What do you have in mind?” _

_ “We’re holding a summer school program, and using about sixteen students to test out its success. We’re even doubling it as a testing ground for the social capabilities of our Ultimate Clone.” _

_ “Heh...you sound like a mad scientist, with the “Ultimate Clone” and all.” _

_ “It would be a pleasure if Shido Norihisa, the Ultimate Dancer, would join in on the program. It’ll last long enough for your name to go completely off the radar in Japan. Your...incident was in more of a Russian area, after all.” _

_ “What’s the payment?” _

_ “Nothing. All we want to do is study your mental state during this program. Do we have a deal?” _

_ “Deal. Thank you for the opportunity, Headmaster Naegi.” _

Shido shot awake with a gasp. He grabbed at his chest and mouth, breathing in deeply. After a pause, he looked around.

He found himself lying in his bed in his dorm. His boots were lying at the door, and tissues of makeup were in his bin. He touched his face to find it completely free of makeup.

A wave of nausea crashed over him, and he launched onto his feet. Racing into the bathroom, he fell on his knees and promptly vomited what was left in his stomach into the toilet.

His body felt wrong. It wasn’t his. It was just fake, alterations made to hide a murderer. He didn’t feel right at all. The thought of this made him gag again, throwing up once more.

After emptying his stomach, all he did was sob while sitting there. His body started shaking again as he clutched his hands close to his chest and curled up on the bathroom floor. He didn’t even get up to move back to bed, continuing to lay there and wallow in self-hatred.

Of course. That explained it all. His friendless background. His meek behavior. A shy little boy was the perfect cover-up for a ruthless murderer.

But who did he even kill? He can’t even remember the victim’s name. Were they a boy or a girl? Had they been a stranger, or somebody close to them? Was there more than one? Could he potentially be a serial killer?

Over time, he could hear some knocks on his door going into his dorm. A few times, they wouldn’t stop for a bit. Shido never answered, even when he got up to flush the toilet and the vomit away.

As he got up, he looked at himself in the mirror. He was pale, and his eyes were bloodshot. Makeup marks were still on his cheeks. He looked like the living dead. Slowly, he began to splash water on his face to rub away the mascara.

When he looked back up, he noticed something a bit strange. Slowly, he leaned closer. He began to pull back his hair to stare.

Some of the roots in the hair were...turning white? And it was only in one spot. It wasn’t anywhere else. It just looked like a single streak. Was it...hair dye? Was his hair dyed black? He didn’t have any way to check at the moment. He could try a natural mixture of baking soda and shampoo, but he’d have to leave his room for that. And he didn’t want to go out with anybody possibly outside.

Slowly, he dragged himself back to his bed, then flopped down on it. He felt extremely drained from the entire encounter. Before long, his eyes were closing, and he drifted off to a semi-peaceful slumber.


	65. Chapter 5-4: Your Reflection Reveals Brutal Regrets

_ Ding dong, ding dong… _

_ “Ahem...This is a school announcement! It is now 10 PM, which means the rule of nighttime is in full affect. The dining hall will close in short time, and entering it is forbidden. Well, then! Goodnight! Have beary good dreams...” _

Shido lifted his head from his pillow. The nighttime announcement had stirred him front his nap. Rubbing his eyes, he slowly stepped out of bed, and moved to the door to put in his boots.

Baking soda. He’ll need baking soda to remove any potential hair dye. But the storage room, along with the kitchen and dining hall, were locked this time of night. Where would he get some?

Right. The fourth floor. Logically, it would be unlocked by now. Nobody would be there at nighttime, right? The boat construction meetings are at the lake now. He couldn’t imagine a reason why anybody else would be outside.

Slowly, Shido peeked outside, then looked up and down the hall. Nobody was there at the moment. He crept out, then raced down the hall towards the stairs. He quickly raced up the stairs, hurrying up the flights.

Would his real self struggle with the stairs? Would he be as breathless as Shido was on the top floor? Would he need a break, sitting against the wall for a moment?

These thoughts made the room spin as Shido sat down. He clutched his head, whimpering a bit. When it began to still, he finally stood up and looked around.

As usual, it was identical to the floors below. A hallway of classrooms, and one door on each side. One had a sign of a telescope imprinted before a moon and some stars. The other’s sign was a single podium, with an open book in front of it.

Shido decided to go into the left room, first. He cracked open the door and peeked inside into the darkness. After a pause, he remembered there was probably a light switch and fumbled for it against the wall. Once he found it, he flicked it on.

The large room looked to be an observatory. Its roof and walls were circular and made of glass halfway into the room. He could visibly see the stars, though there seemed to be some thick clouds obscuring most of his view at the moment. A large telescope with a chair included was peering out the glass, pointing towards the sky. There were also multiple star charts against the walls.

Shido felt...very lonely in that room. He had no idea whether it was caused by standing there and looking out at the clouds and the stars. Or from how big the telescope was. It made him shiver a bit from the unintentional unfriendliness.

Out of a sort of boredom, he began to shift around in the various cabinets and tables. He doubted he would find something beyond scientific files.

Indeed, don drawer was dedicated entirely to scientists, on a last name basis and going in alphabetical order. Adachi, Chien, Fujioka, Hashimoto, Iida...

Kogane.

Automatically, Shido shoved his whole arm into the file labelled ‘Kogane’. A sudden feeling had overtaken him that drove him to seize what was inside.

There was nothing big. All Shido could snag was a piece of paper the size of a photo. Slowly, he pulled it out, looking at its contents.

It looked to be three men. One, on the left, was with long silvery hair and two scars on his face. Another was a younger-looking man with a black mullet hairstyle in a ponytail and a scar going upwards on his cheek. And the one in the middle was completely masked and unidentifiable. All three were wearing what seemed to be the same...costume? Except for the black-haired boy, who seemed to be wearing a sort of robe over his.

The boy with the silver hair had his arms crossed, and he was leaning to one side while giving a smirk to the camera. The black-haired boy was smiling while wrapping his arms around the shoulders of the masked individual. And said individual was waving, as if a bit shy.

Who...were these three? Why was a photo of them here, in a scientist's file? They aren’t Hope’s Peak Academy students. They look way too old. And why did the last name ‘Kogane’ sound so familiar to him?

“Heeey!”

Shido screamed once Monokuma appeared. He clutched the photo close to his chest. “M-Monokuma?!” He exclaimed.

The bear looked furious. “What is that you have?! Where did you find it?!”

“U-Um...In a file labelled Kogane...I-It was the only thing in there.”

“...Puhuhuhu...How clever of him...trying a method like that...”

Shido tilted his head. “What...are you talking about?”

Without a signal that he would do so, Monokuma lunged forward. His small paws grabbed the photo and yanked it straight out of Shido’s palms. The Ultimate Dancer gave a yelp, stumbling back from the force.

“I’m afraid I must confiscate this, now!” Monokuma declared. “It’s some propaganda that influences the mind of the young! That’s why this generation has grown to be so disasterous! It’s so left or right wing, making their lives completely about politics and chasing after money and fame! You should be one of the good apples, Shido. Well, ignoring the blood on your hands, of course! Puhuhuhu!”

“W-Wait! Who are those people in the picture?”

“Well, they definitely aren’t Hope’s Peak Academy-related! So therefore, it matters not to you or anybody else here!”

Before Shido could stop him, Monokuma sprung away with the photo. He’ll probably never be able to acquire it again. All he was left to do was to wonder who the three men were and look for what he had came for.

There was no baking soda in there. Slowly, Shido shuffled out and made his way to the other room, the one with the podium sign.

It looked to be like...a class trial room. But it wasn’t circular in shape. It was instead separated into two sides facing each other. Multiple cabinet files were stacked up against the walls, much like the observatory. There wasn’t a single window. This must be some sort of debate hall.

“What...is this?” Shido questioned out loud. “It isn’t a class trial room...”

Slowly, he began to look for something. There was definitely no baking soda in here, but there could be something related to the mystery of Monolith Valley. Something to find the mastermind Junko Enoshima and her lackey traitor.

Wait, who was Junko Enoshima? How did he know the name of the mastermind? Why would he even consider a person he didn’t know to be the mastermind of this whole operation?

Wait, no, it didn’t matter. Not at all. He couldn’t accuse anybody without proof. And no proof existed. Junko Enoshima did not exist. There was no mastermind whatsoever. He didn’t need to seek out...seek out...

What was happening to him? His head was a blur. Is this a side effect of the memory suppression he supposedly went through? Relapses in judgement and dizzy spells? But it never happened before. Why now, of all times?

Shido slowly sat against the wall, head drooping forward. Some rest would do him good. Yes, some rest from the killing game...away from everybody...

_ “I'm sorry. I don't know why I did it. I can't fully research into my past without suspicion being aroused. So, that's the second reason I wanted to talk to you. I want you to help me with that.” _

_ “And the first?” _

_ “To apologize. I can't fix this. But I, as a different person, had no control over what I did. I don't even remember it. Frankly, it...horrifies me, that I did something like that. We knew you would be mad, but...I couldn't live with myself hiding the truth from my leader.” _

Shido shot awake, gasping a bit. He didn’t realize he had fallen asleep against the wall. But he hadn’t been tired at all...why did he pass out?

And even then...what was that conversation? Where did it come from? He recognized the first voice. It was his...But the second voice...it belonged to a female’s, unidentifiable to him. Just what was going on?

Well, he wasn’t going to find baking soda in here. This whole exploration was a bust. It was nigh time to head back to his room.

As he stepped out, he wondered if Kohaku had ever visited Nagito. Did she do that when he didn’t? He’s really been getting behind on it. Perhaps tomorrow night, he should...

The door leading to the stairs suddenly burst open, and Shido lunged back. His eyes went wide as Hajime burst in, out of breath. The boy looked around, then noticed the other standing there.

“Shido!” He exclaimed. “Thank goodness! When we couldn’t find you anywhere, we began to worry!”

Shido stepped back. “Wait...wh-what? What’s going on?”

“Is Kohaku up here?” Hajime continued.

“N-No! As far as I know, I’m alone.”

“Oh, god...oh crap, that’s bad!”

“Wh-Why?! What’s going on, Hajime?!”

“Shido, there’s a fire!” He screamed. “The entire forest is up in flames! And Kohaku is missing!”


	66. Chapter 5-5: Your Reflection Reveals Brutal Regrets

By the time Shido and Hajime made it downstairs, everybody was already gathered and almost screaming at each other in rushed panic. Even Yuuki was riled up, pacing around and having a hand over his mouth.

“Shido!” Akihiko suddenly yelled, making everyone realize they had arrived. “You’re okay!”

“A-And Kohaku?” Hiroko questioned.

“No sign of her,” Hajime answered. “She wasn’t on the fourth floor.”

“Not on the second floor, either,” Daiki agreed.

Kyou clenched his fists. “Or the third...the only likely explanation is she’s outside...”

“H-How bad is it?” Shido dared to ask.

Yukio pointed out the front windows in response. “Look!”

All Shido could see from the trees was blazes. The trees were being engulfed in fire, and it was spreading fast, going right towards the building they were in. His heart pounded against his chest, and threatened to leap out of his throat.

“...K...Kohaku is...out there?!” Shido exclaimed.

“And we’re trapped in here!” Daiki agreed. “We’re sitting ducks!”

“We’re gonna be cooked alive in this place!” Yukio screamed. “There’s no way of gettin’ out! Not only is there the fire, there’s the fences around the place boxin’ us in!”

“It’s probably already gotten to the campgrounds...” Yuuki muttered. “And it started internally...”

“Yuuki?” Akihiko asked in a worried tone.

“There was no way this happened on accident. The fire started internally in the forest, which is why we didn’t see it at first. What’s in the inside of the forest?”

Hajime pondered that. “On the inside?”

“You wouldn’t know that. However, Yukio would. He made it himself, with his brother.”

Yukio gasped, eyes going wide. “The hidden food supply?! That’s where it started?!”

“This isn’t some ordinary fire. This is a sabotage! And it’s succeeded! This fire...is going to destroy all of the trees.”

“Which means no wood for the boat...” Daiki realized. “Which means...”

“No escape...” Kyou finished. “But...we had everything planned out...It wasn’t...”

“But how?!” Shido exclaimed. “H-How could Monokuma have known, if it was a deliberate fire on his part!”

Yuuki frowned. “The traitor, of course. The one that knows all about the truth of Monolith Valley besides the mastermind. One of us, and certainly not Hajime.”

“What?!” Akihiko exclaimed. “Why not him?”

“Because I didn’t know you guys were planning an escape!” Hajime pointed out. “I’m only learning this now! I was kept in the dark!”

“Oh, yea?” Yukio challenged. “And how do we not know you were spyin’ on us?! We know Akio got your secret!”

Hajime only frowned. “No. That wasn’t my deepest secret.”

Yukio paused. “Eh?”

Yuuki suddenly was staring, looking confused himself. “What...do you mean?”

“My darkest secret is that...my father built Monolith Valley with Hope’s Peak Academy. And my siblings took part in it, too.”

Daiki glared. “My secret wasn’t-”

“Kohaku got my secret,” Hajime said. “I know, because she didn’t seem fazed at all by the motive announcement. She had known all along about the Weil family. If it was some other deep secret, she would have had more of a reaction. Instead, she was perfectly calm about it.”

“That’s...a big leap!” Kyou exclaimed. “Kohaku is not there at the moment to confirm your claim!”

“Sh-She doesn’t have to!” Shido suddenly spoke. “Because I know that’s Hajime’s darkest secret, f-for a fact! He had disclosed it with me!”

Hajime paused, then recognized that what Shido was saying was a partial truth. “Y...Yea. I did. So I’m not the traitor, because their secret is not my own!”

Yuuki continued to frown. “Then...if Hajime has no possibility of being the traitor, that means...it is one of us Monolith Valley students.”

“It is not me!” Kyou clarified. “I care too much for my classmates and a trustful school environment!”

“S-Same here on the caring part!” Akihiko added. “I ain’t no traitor to anybody!”

Hiroko scowled. “Honestly, the most possible candidate is none other than Shido...or our killer friend.”

Shido stepped back. “M-Me?! Why me?!”

“Because not only have you isolated from the rest of us, you were just exposed as a murderer,” Hiroko reasoned. “That’s very suspicious, don’t you think?”

“She is right,” Yukio pointed out. “And the whole relapse from the third trial...was that really actin’, or just his real self?”

“W-Wait! Everyone! I would never-!”

The doors opened, and everybody cut off the conversation. They turned to the front doors as a gust of hot air blew in.

Monokuma had a flashing siren on his head and a doctor’s outfit. He was pushing along a gurney, with a limp and burnt body on it. Blood was dripping over the sides from the unconscious student.

“Kohaku!” Shido exclaimed.

She looked awful. Her clothes and skin were burnt, and blood was pouring out from scratches and other grisly wounds. The most visible one was a blow to the head, copious amounts of fluid flowing out onto the pristine white gurney.

Slowly, she opened her eyes as the others rushed other. She began to move her head to look at the blurry figures running up.

Immediately, Monokuma began to wave them away. “Hey, hey! Back off! You aren’t authorized to see the patient in such a critical condition!”

“What happened?!” Hajime asked. “How did she end up like that?!”

“I’ll tell you what, it was dreadfully frightening!” Monokuma replied. “Seeing all those hard-growned trees bursting into fire...it nearly made me cry from all the hard work nature poured into them! But then...The flames started guzzling up some hidden granola bars and canned beans!” He began to growl, unsheathing his claws. “Mind telling me about THAT, students?!”

“Um...I-It’s...” Hiroko stammered.

Monokuma then laughed. “Puhuhuhu! Oh, you don’t need to tell me! I’ve known for a very long time! In fact, since day one!”

Daiki was aghast. “You...knew about the escape?”

“Of course! You can’t hide anything from me! I can see stuff even where there aren’t cameras! And it wouldn’t have worked, anyways! No matter how hard you tried, you never would have made a good enough boat to fit even one person! There’s no Ultimate Carpenter here, is there?”

“And you...let us believe for that long that we actually had a goddamn chance?!” Akihiko choked on a sob.

“Of course! If there’s a flower, you gotta let it grow really pretty until you pluck it up and let it wither! Same with hope! The best way to crush it is to let it shine until the climax! That’s when the fruit is juiciest!”

Yuuki grimaced. “You...are a despicable bear, Monokuma.”

“The worst!” Kyou agreed with a broken tone. “I cannot believe such a horrid thought would ever come to your mind, and you would act on it!”

Monokuma groaned. “Hey, can you all stop holding up the doctor rushing the patient off to the infirmary? She’s bleeding out over here, as you can tell!”

“A-Ah!” Hiroko stepped back. “Right!”

“But aren’t we in danger from the fire?!” Daiki questioned. “What do we do?!”

“Oh, relax!” Monokuma said. “The entire building is fireproof! And the air filters will make sure you continue to get clean breaths! As long as you don’t go outside for the next couple of days, everyone will be totally fine just staying inside!”

“You’re sure?” Akihiko asked.

“Absolutely! What, do you think I would lie, Akihiko?”

The answer was an immediate, “Yes! Yes you would!”

“Hrmphf! How rude indeed!” Monokuma continued pushing off Kohaku, head tilted up. “None of you have any sort of respect in the slightest!”

“P-Poor Kohaku...” Daiki murmured as the gurney turned into the infirmary, the door closing behind it.

“Why was she outside?” Akihiko wondered. “Right when the fire started?”

“Well, she did take a while to get here,” Hajime remarked. “She might have been at the boat for the nightly meeting, or having a nighttime walk. Regardless, she got caught in the flames.”

“That means Monokuma lit the fire, right?” Kyou asked. “Because of what she did...”

Shido looked confused. “Because of...what she did?”

“She broke into the Yakuza’s room,” Hiroko explained. “Or more precisely, used the key to it. And she stole a huge amount of documents from it. That was the reason why our emergency assembly was gathered. Because of her not technically breaking any rules, Monokuma let her off with a warning, but...he was probably planning to punish her in some way.”

“S-So that’s how she found out...” Shido murmured.

Akihiko suddenly began to glare again. “That being said, traitor...”

Shido gasped. “What?! N-No! I’m not-!”

“We know it’s you, whatever your real name is!” Kyou declared. “You’re a murderer! You would be a perfect tool for the mastermind!”

“Hey, you guys!” Hajime exclaimed. “We may be jumping to conclusions here!”

“Jumping to what exactly?” Yuuki asked. “All of what we know points to him, Hajime. You should see that, plain as day.”

“We can’t let him continue to run around!” Kyou exclaimed. “He’ll just report on us for the mastermind!”

“No, no, no!” Shido exclaimed. “I wouldn’t! I wouldn’t betray any of you! Please!”

“We should lock him up,” Hiroko pitched in. “Seal him in his dorm.”

Yukio shook his head. “Nah. If he’s the traitor, he’s probably got some advanced tech hidden in there that allows him to talk to the mastermind and see everythin’ that’s happenin’!”

“Then let’s throw him in one of the classrooms!” Akihiko declared. “He wouldn’t be able to do anything in there!”

Hajime was stepping back. “What are you guys, a lynch mob?!”

“Please, just please!” Shido sobbed. “Leave me alone! I’m not the traitor, I swear it!”

Yuuki only scoffed coldly. “Of course, and you are not a murderer.”

“I really don’t remember it!” Shido fell to his knees. “Please, I’m sorry! I don’t know what I’ve done wrong! I haven’t done anything wrong! Please, just trust me!”

When he was grabbed by the arms, he began to scream. He kicked around, Daiki and Akihiko working in tandem to begin pulling him towards one of the classrooms on the first floor. He tried to dig his heels into the floor, but Yukio grabbed his left leg while Kyou held his right. All he could do was thrash in the grip of the four boys.

Hajime was held back by Hiroko and Yuuki. “Stop it! STOP! This is fucking wrong!”

“Do you want to get locked up with him?!” Hiroko snarled. “Do you want to get locked into a room with a cold-blooded killer?!”

“He isn’t a killer! There’s no way he is! SHIDO!”

Shido was tossed into the classroom by the four boys. He rolled twice, then stopped once he hit the desks. He looked up in time to see them close the door.

“NO, NO, NO!” Shido rammed the door with all of his strength, but it didn’t budge. “Please, PLEASE! LET ME OUT!” He slammed his fists again and again. “I’M SORRY FOR WHAT I’VE DONE! I’M SORRY! JUST LET ME GO! PLEASE!”

There was no response. Hurriedly, Shido tried to open the door. However, something held it close, even when it’s supposed to go inwards. He began to yank on the doorknob. All he succeeded in was chafing his hands under the gloves.

He fell to his knees. “Please...Please...” Shido sobbed. “I know I’m worthless...I know I’m nothing, but please...don’t leave me in here...” He curled up against the door. “Don’t leave me...”

There was no response. There never was, even when Shido cried himself to sleep against the door. At least this time, he wasn't wearing any makeup that would run.


	67. Chapter 5-6: Your Reflection Reveals Brutal Regrets

_ Ding dong, ding dong... _

_ “Attention, everybody! It is now eight AM, which means it’s time to get up and embrace the morning! I hope you all have a spectacular day here in Monolith Valley Summer School!” _

Daytime...it’s funny to think that it’s only been about a full day since the last trial occurred. So much has happened between now and then...

Now, he sat in the exact classroom he was locked in. He had fallen asleep at a desk, the only kind of furniture in the room. He lifted his head from the desk, feeling a sheet of sweat where it had been laying against the hard surface.

“Hmmm...”

Shido yelped, turning to see Monokuma sitting on top of a desk next to him. “M-Monokuma?!”

“You know...Hajime was an exception to sleeping outside of the dorms and campgrounds, and for good reason. You, however...There’s not really that much of a reason to be snoozing outside of a bed, is there?”

“I-I couldn’t go to my dorm!” Shido explained. “I’m locked in here!”

“Hm...Yes, yes, that is very true, Shido. Your classmates just don’t trust you anymore to let you run amok, huh?”

Shido was slammed in the face by reality, and what had happened yesterday. “O...Oh...”

“Speaking of, did you know that some criminals don’t even get beds? Prisons can be so overcrowded that they’re sharing cells! Some of them can even have more inmates than cots! So I guess I can make an exception for you sleeping in the classroom, too! You gotta train for when you go back to the real world and get incarcerated! And that’s even if you survive this! Puhuhuhu!”

“ENOUGH!” Shiro lifted the chair he had been holding over his head and threw it directly at Monokuma.

The stuffed bear dodged. “Oooh! Careful! You don’t wanna add two counts of murder to your sentence! You’ll get a longer term of imprisonment! And besides, attacking me would deal punishment to you!”

“I don’t CARE!” Shido sobbed. “There’s nothing to live for, anyways! My whole life...all of my memories are one damn lie! I’m not Shido Norihisa, I never was! I’m a fucking sociopath!” He fell to his knees. “I...I’m a...”

Monokuma dabbed his face with a tissue. “Oh, there, there. There’s plenty of sociopaths in the world, so hey! You aren’t alone! You’re just isolated, that’s all! It’s not a topic to cry over!”

“Fuck you...” Shido pushed away the paw at his face. “Why are you doing this to me? To everybody? What will you gain?”

“Isn’t it obvious? Despair! And bucketloads of it!”

“Oh, shut up about the despair! That can’t just be it! That-!”

There was a rummaging sound at the door, and Shido paused. He and Monokuma both looked over. The doorknob was being rattled, then there was annoyed muttering before there were sounds of something being moved.

“Oop! That’s my cue!” Monokuma chortled. “What a lucky break!”

“Wait!” Shido called as the bear dipped away, and the door opened.

Akihiko stepped in, holding what looked to be a tray of food. He glanced over at Shido and tried to give him a smile. However, Shido could see a mile away that it was as shaky as the hands that held the tray.

“Hey, Shido...” Akihiko placed the tray on one of the desks. “H-Here’s your breakfast.”

“Please don’t be scared of me,” Shido quietly begged.

“What? Scared?” Akihiko laughed. “Why should the Ultimate Knight be scared of an unarmed scrawny boy? ...That’s a literal murderer? ...Okay, yea, I’m sort of terrified of you.”

“I’m not somebody you should fear,” Shido whimpered. “Please let me prove it to you.”

“What? How?”

“...May we spend breakfast together? I don’t want to be alone. And I’m not hungry, anyways.”

Akihiko took a step towards the door. Judging by the look on his face, he was ready to run out and leave Shido there. Resigning himself to being alone, Shido gave a whimpering noise and laid his head on a desk he was now sitting at.

There was the sound of a chair scraping against the ground, and when Shido lifted his head, Akihiko was sitting adjacent to him. “What do you want to talk about...Shido?”

Even though the food was now unlocked, Shido made no move to escape. Instead, he happily began talking to Akihiko, who began eating the breakfast he wasn’t going to touch anyways. It would be better to starve himself to death than to die on the terms of Monokuma. However, he was pressured by Akihiko into at least drinking the bottled water with the breakfast.

Akihiko was currently eating what looked like a black croissant. It was a baked good made from black ingredients. It looked burnt, but it seemed to be pretty good, judging by Akihiko’s reaction. Then again, he would eat anything.

“So...How’s family?” Akihiko swallowed the rest of the croissant.

Shido paused. “Family? Oh, y-you mean the Norihisas.” He paused. “If they even did exist at all...”

“Oh. You probably don’t even know what memories are real or not.” Akihiko nodded in understanding. “Man, I can’t even begin to comprehend how that must feel. Learning your entire life was a lie...”

“...Actually, I don’t mind it.”

“Say whaaa?”

Shido grimaced. “I...did not have any good relationships with the family that I remember. My past is not one of happiness. To know it was fake is...a sort of relief. I mean, could that mean that I may actually have loved ones?”

Akihiko made a distressed noise. “Eh, probably not anymore, if you killed a man...I don’t think I could love my sibling anymore if they just harmed a dog, dude, and I freaking love my siblings. Imagine killing a whole-ass person.”

“And...just like that, the crushing feeling of my entire life being a lie is hitting me dead in the face.”

“Oof...That’s my bad, isn’t it?”

“......”

“Riiight...I’m gonna...go now.” Akihiko stood up, scooching his chair back a bit as he picked up the emptied tray. “Have a good...rest of your day, Shido.”

Shido made no move to even say goodbye. He simply stared at the desk he sat at, listening to Akihiko walk out, closing and barricading the door behind him.

Shido didn’t know what to think. He would say that he and Akihiko would have gotten closer, but it just feels like they’ve been driven apart even more. Were they even friends at all in the first place?

Shido could do nothing but sit around and wait for something to happen. Laying his head against the desk, he went still and quiet as the agonizing seconds ticked by.

The minutes ticked by, then hours. His hands began to shake, aching for anything to do. He wondered if boredom would drive him mad before starvation would claim his life.

Finally, the door creaked, and his head shot up. He was almost glad that Yukio walked in, holding another tray of food.

“Hey, buddy.” Yukio smiled warmly at him. “Got you lunch.”

Shido stood up. “Th-Th...Thank you,” he gasped, shaking a bit.

Yukio noticed his tremors. “Are you alright?” He asked, walking in. “Akihiko told us you didn’t eat breakfast. Do you feel sick? Or did you just not sleep?” He looked around. “I doubt you would get a good night’s rest, holed up in a room with no bed...”

“N-No, none of it. I’m just...happy to have someone to talk to. I-I-I feel like I’m going to go mad...holed up in this room with nothing to do or...nobody to talk to...”

Yukio gently set down the tray. “Well, you can talk to me, now. I wasn’t plannin’ on leavin’ until you ate your lunch, anyways.”

Shido slowly sat down. “That’s...th-thoughtful of you.”

It seems Yukio was wary of Shido trying to take the easy way out, and was attempting to stop him as much as possible. Well, Yukio won’t be here every time. So perhaps just one lunch will be alright.

Slowly, Shido began to eat the food in front of him. Like he promised, Yukio continued to sit there, trying to engage in small talk with him. But for both of them, it seemed extremely awkward to carry out a coherent conversation.

As they both stumbled over their words, Shido bit into a fluffy cake, something called a Gugelhupf. It is said to have been a favorite of Marie Antoinette. Its name is German for “priest’s hat”.

“Hey, um...Shido? I wanted to apologize.”

Shido looked up from finishing his cake. “Hm? For what?”

“For yesterday. How we all just kind of freaked out. I guess the stress from Kohaku’s near-death and the escape plan being fucked in the ass that we just lost our cool. We shouldn’t be doin’ this to you.”

“It’s, um...understandable. If I really am a murderer, I would throw myself in imprisonment. But does this mean that...?”

Yukio sighed. “Everyone’s batshit scared of you, Shido. You aren’t leavin’ this room for a while. I’m sorry.”

“...So you’re just apologizing...out of guilt?”

After a moment, Yukio shrugged. “Probably. It’s not like I can help you out of this situation.”

“You...really aren’t making me feel better about myself.”

Yukio reached over to take Shido’s hand. “I’m really sorry. I want to believe you, but...At the same time, the evidence is really against you at the moment. And I’m outnumbered, so I’m not exactly a compellin’ voice in the crowd...”

“No, y-you don’t need to keep reasoning it. I’m scum, I know. You can leave now.” Shido turned his attention to staring out the classroom window, which was covered in a thick blanket of soot by now. Hopefully, it will be gone by the next few days so they can see the damage done.

“...I’m sorry.” Yukio got up, excusing himself out of the room.

Shido didn’t even want to linger on their conversation. A deep, festering feeling has settled in his gut, making him want to vomit up what food he ate. He managed to keep it down, however. He was staying in this room for an indefinite period of time; he would like to avoid making it smell bad.

Once more, the hours began to trickle away into nothing. Sitting in the dark room, Shido began to attempt to scratch lines into the desk he was at with his nails to busy himself. All he managed to do was nearly tear out his nail when he dug it in too much.

He had a faint idea what time it was when the door was opened. Judging by Hiroko walking in with what had to be his dinner, it was close to nighttime.

She merely gave a scoff upon seeing him. Placing the food on the desk in front of him, she turned before he could even lift his head up.

“Please,” he begged. “Please stay. I’m so lonely.”

“Think about that next time before you murder someone in cold blood, you disgusting worm of a man,” Hiroko snarled, making sure to slam the door behind her.

Upon impact, Shido let out a loud wail. Not even looking at the food, he tossed it to the floor, beginning to sob. He curled up into the small space the classroom chair provided, shaking like a small, unprotected leaf in a violent storm.

He didn’t even register when he fell asleep. He even completely missed the nighttime announcement that echoed throughout the lonely-seeming summer school building.

He wondered if Nagito was waiting for him. He wondered if Nagito even got away from the fire in time. Was he even alive? He shouldn’t care anymore. There’s not even a slim chance that they’ll see each other again.


	68. Chapter 5-7: Your Reflection Reveals Brutal Regrets

_ Ding dong, ding dong... _

_ “Attention, everybody! It is now eight AM, which means it’s time to get up and embrace the morning! I hope you all have a spectacular day here in Monolith Valley Summer School!” _

Nothing mattered. Nothing that he did mattered anymore. His begging to be let out falls on deaf ears. Everybody does talk to him, but he can tell there’s thinly-veiled disgust behind every word. Everyone hated him.

And all he could worry about was Nagito. Did the fire get him? Did he escape? Is he injured? Alive? Dead? Still in contact? Or chased away by the flames? Shido’s chest twisted at the thought of the high school boy being cooked alive by the fire while screaming.

Kohaku wasn’t around, either. He’s been hearing murmurs from everyone else. About her. Their tone seemed to imply something sad, but at the same time, there’s been no body discovery announcement. She was still alive, right? Wasn’t that all that mattered?

The blockades on the door began to slide against the floor, and Shido turned in the desk chair. Someone was here to give him breakfast. Had he been lost in thought long enough for somebody to eat their breakfast, then compile one for him? He shook his head and stood up to halfheartedly greet whoever was there.

Shido’s last expectation was for Kohaku to walk through without any food.

She looked better than the other day, that was for sure. While bandages were visibly on her face and legs and under her clothes, she was walking perfectly fine. However, her smile was lost to reality. She only walked in with a stern expression.

“Kohaku!” Shido stood up. “You’re-!”

“Please sit down.” Her voice was gentle, and it shocked him. He’s never heard her talk like that before. “We need to talk.”

Shido slowly did so. He watched her settle down in a chair herself, turning it to face him. She softly winced, probably agitating some of the burn wounds.

“S-So...what’s the problem?” Shido asked slowly.

Kohaku looked at the closed door, then up at the room’s camera. As Shido glanced to it, too, he paused. The light on it had always been red. However, right now, it was green.

“Good. Hajime’s putting in false feed.” Kohaku nodded. “So we can talk as freely here as in the game room without worry of the mastermind or whoever hearing us.”

Shido paused. “Hajime...can do that?”

“Of course he can. He used to be an Ultimate Counselor.”

“Hope!” Shido immediately realized. “Hajime was Hope!”

Kohaku looked surprised. “You didn’t realize it before? I guess you never hung out near him, but since we both know the counselors are all siblings, the last name should have been a dead giveaway.” She sighed. “Getting off topic. Listen, Monokuma’s lied.”

Shido scoffed. “About what?”

“About you being a murderer. I mean, technically, you did kill someone, but he’s blowing it out of proportion.”

Blowing it...out of proportions? How do you exaggerate murder circumstances? Shido was a killer, plain and simple.

“What-”

“Listen, I broke into the Yakuza’s room, as you know. And I recovered an entire stack of files that told me every last secret about Monolith Valley. The traitor, the mastermind, even stuff we do not know.”

“You know who the mastermind is?!” Shido exclaimed, leaning forward.

Kohaku did the same, smirking. “Junko Enoshima. She attended Hope’s Peak Academy, once. But she caused the worst calamity in history: the Tragedy. Of course, we repaired and moved on from it, but...she’s definitely the mastermind. No doubt of it.”

“Then the only problem is...the traitor!” Shido stated. “Wh-Who is it?”

“...I don’t think that...where you’re going, you’ll need to know.”

Shido paused, slowly falling back into his chair. “What?”

“Shido, Hajime is going to get you out of Monolith Valley tonight,” Kohaku said. “Monokuma isn’t watching you anymore. He’s focused on the rest of us. It’s a prime opportunity to get you out of here. If even one of us gets away from Monolith Valley...Insurrection’s Abyss will be able to save us all.”

“Th-The terrorist group?” Shido asked.

“Not one in the slightest. Hajime took up the mantle of the mole after the Yakuza perished. He’s been in contact with them since day one. And now that he’s become one of us, it makes it that much easier to communicate amongst each other without being suspicious.”

“I don’t...understand...” Shido whimpered.

Kohaku took both of his hands into her own. It was a soft, gentle touch, one that a mother would give to a wounded or crying child. Shido let himself stare at her fingers pressing against his palms.

“Shido, you are not a cruel murderer. You do have a life out there. I don’t know what exactly it is, but it’s there. Monokuma just lied to turn us all against you. I even fell for it.”

“K-Kohaku...”

“I should have known.” Tears were beginning to fall down Kohaku’s face. “A lot of the information from your file was redacted. I don’t know your family, your age, or even who you killed and where. It was a trap somehow set by Monokuma. He made sure information about you wouldn’t be processed through. I...I was stupid.”

Shido slowly pulled Kohaku into a hug. She gasped once her head hit his chest, leaning across the classroom aisle to revel in his warmth. Already, her tears began to soak his poncho.

“What’s...wrong with me?” She whimpered. “Shi-Shi, why am I crying? I’ve never cried before. I’ve never felt true emotion in my life. It was all a lie. So why...Why does it hurt to think that I turned against you? Why does it hurt when I think about just using you without thinking about your feelings?”

“I’m sorry,” Shido murmured. “I’m so sorry. For what I did as whoever I truly am.”

“That’s the thing,” Kohaku whispered. “You did nothing. Nothing that I could blame you for. Nothing that we can hold against you. And I...I still turned everybody against you, even knowing that!” She let out another sob, pressing her face further into his chest. “I should be sorry! I should be the one apologizing! I just want the pain in my chest and the watery stuff in my eyes to go away! What did you do to me?! Why do I feel this way?!” She began bawling outright. “Why am I acting like a normal human being when I never was one?!”

Shido continued to hold her as she dissolved into sobbing. He cradled her shaking body, petting her blonde hair slowly.

“Why...Why am I crying?” Kohaku whispered. “Why am I so compelled to cry?”

“It’s okay,” Shido said. “It’ll all be okay. Just like you said, right?”

Kohaku gave a swallow. “Right. I still need to...” She pulled back. “Hajime...w-will come with the pretense of giving you dinner. However, he’ll shut down all cameras at once, and you guys will run for the door and down the road to the fence. Once you cross it, y-you just need to keep running.”

“Wh-What if Monokuma tries to stop us?” Shido asked.

Kohaku smiled a bit. “Don’t worry. Hajime can and will get past him.” She patted her sleeve. “He’s got a few tricks up here.”

“I...I see.” Shido nodded. “Okay...I believe you.”

“...Shido?”

“Yea?”

“The pain’s gone now. I can breathe normally. And now I have another weird feeling. Like...happiness, but stronger.”

“S-Sorry. I don’t really know happiness but stronger.”

Kohaku gave a sweet, enamored smile. “I like this feeling. This is a very nice feeling.”


	69. Chapter 5-8: Your Reflection Reveals Brutal Regrets

Shido preoccupied himself with staring out the window. By now, the fire’s completely gone, and by some miraculous feat, the school building remained perfectly untouched. However, he could see the blackened remains of both grass and trees everywhere, and smoke still rising.

And even further away, he could see the campgrounds, or what was left of them. All of the cabins were just skeletons of their structures, the insides now nothing but ashes. The recreational sections were equally devoured by flames. The only thing that was left was the lake shore and the lake itself, which was now so visible with all of the trees gone.

It was a nice analogy for the overall mood in Hope’s Peak Academy. So bleak and desolate, but once thriving and so full of life. Only about 9 or so students were left out of the 17 there was supposed to be. All they could do was just pray for another murder to not occur.

He was already standing up when the door opened. His muscles in his legs were already tensed, ready to sprint straight out the door and out of the building. He glanced over, trying to quell his beating heart and preparing himself for the exact moment.

Hajime slipped in, holding a tray. On a first glance, it looked to be dinner. However, upon closer inspection, one would see that it’s just empty boxes of preserved foods. He closed the door behind him with his foot, walking up to Shido.

“Hey, Shido,” he said, placing the dinner tray on a nearby desk.

Shido smiled a bit. “H-Hi, Hajime.”

Hajime paused. “You seem to be in a much better mood.”

“Well...denying it only would cause hurt to me. Accepting what I am brings its own special sort of peace, right?”

There was a smile on Hajime’s face. “Yea. Those are some pretty wise words to live by. Anyways, I brought you dinner. Is there anything you want to talk about?”

Shido nodded, face showing nothing but determination. “Yea. There is.”

Hajime, after a moment, gave the same look. “Okay.”

There was a cacophony of explosions, and Shido ducked a bit, covering his ears. He could hear everybody outside yelling and scurrying around, trying to figure out what happened. He looked up to see the camera in the corner of the room now falling to the floor in bits and pieces, smoke rising from the remains. How did Hajime do that?

“Come on!” Hajime grabbed his hand. “Now!”

Both sprang into running, bursting out the door. Daiki, who was at the door, stumbled back, eyes going wide once the two raced past him. He did nothing when they ran right for the exit door, Hajime pulling along Shido.

“What the hell?!” Yuuki could be heard screaming.

“What’s goin’ on?!” Yukio called. “All of the cameras just combusted!”

Hiroko added, “Hajime?! Shido?! What are you two doing?!”

Still, nobody moved in time to stop Hajime and Shido from sprinting into the entrance hall. Hajime grabbed the entrance door itself with both of his hands and swung it open.

Immediately, Shido’s eyes and nose were hit by copious amounts of smoke. He began blinking in instinct, trying to see properly. Tears from irritation were beginning to fall down.

Hajime took his hand, and yanked him outside while pulling his shirt up to cover his mouth. Both galloped down the steps of the entrance to the summer school and began to make a break for it down the road. 

As they ran, for once in this hellhole, Shido felt unconditional hope in his heart. This was nothing like the cautious and bittersweet feeling that things would get better, only to get immensely worse. This was too genuine to be something like that. This was the thought that it can be better. It can and will.

Both of them ran down the road, breath coming out to join the carbon already clustered in the air. There was not a single bit of green around them. Everything was blackened and ruined.

At the fence on the road, Shido paused. It was still electrified, wasn’t it? Wouldn’t it kill him if he touched it?

Hajime noticed his hesitation. “No! Don’t back down now!”

“B-But isn’t it still electrified?” Shido questioned.

“It’s not! Trust me!” Hajime cupped his hands. “C’mon, I’ll give you a boost.”

Shido paused, then nodded. He placed his boot into Hajime’s palms. Using him as a leverage, he bounded up and hopped to grab the top of the fence.

Hajime’s hands suddenly disappeared when there was a sickening crunch. There was a gasp, then a choke. Shido toppled over on the fence and landed clumsily on the other side, rolling a bit. He scrambled up, lifting his head to look.

Hajime’s entire body was impaled by black spears. His chest, torso, arms, and legs were riddled with the thick poles. Blood was pouring out of every wound and dribbling out of his mouth. Slowly, he fell to his knees, eyes blown wide in shock.

“H...How did...he catch up...so fast?” Hajime asked to himself. “Wu...Wu Ming said...”

“HAJIME!” Shido screamed, grabbing the bars.

“...R...Run!” Hajime lifted his head. “JUST RUN, SHI-!”

One final spear flew out and sunk into Hajime’s head from behind. The spear came out the other side and through his right eye socket, making his eyeball pop like a balloon. Blood and gore splattered on the fence in front of him and Shido kneeling there in shock.

For a long moment, Shido sat there, watching Hajime’s body fall forward. His arms fell limp to the ground, and his head made a tiny thunk against the metal bars of the fence. His only eye was open wide and bloodshot. Already, the color was draining out from his complexion.

Finally, Shido got some sense back into him. He needed to run. He was going to end up like that if he continued to sit around. Getting up, he began to sprint hard.

Down the road continued to be nothing but burnt trees and other remains of the forest. The fire had engulfed everything, the hopes of the whole group with it. 

Whether they would admit it or not, he was their last hope. Insurrection’s Abyss was waiting for him, just like Kohaku said they should. And if he can make it to them, everybody else can be saved. Kohaku swore on it. And he would trust anything she says on that topic.

Shido continued to run. Despite his lack of athleticism, he wasn’t tired at all. Adrenaline was coursing through his veins. His heart was pounding so fast, he was worried it could give out. And all he could think of was to just run. Run as fast as he possibly could, faster than he ever has before.

He was out. He was out, he was almost at the road. He was away from the killing game, from the despair and all of the death. He could actually make it.

He felt lightheaded, and he began to slow down. It was like he was waking up from a dream, or some vivid hallucinations. He began to smile, and nearly fell to his knees in joy.

There was a voice. A familiar voice. The one that had been plaguing him the entire game. The same twang, but the different tone.

_ “He made it...Oh my god, ya actually made it.” _

Shido smiled. “Did I do it? Am I okay?”

_ “Yea...Yea, you’ll be okay. Yer gonna be okay, now. And everyone will be okay, too.”  _ The voice was comforting, like a father to his child.  _ “Seraphina, do it.” _

A new voice butted in.  _ “Time to wake this bastard up for good and blow Fox’s plans to kingdom come, Wu Ming!”  _ She laughed joyfully, as if having waited for this day to come.

The lightheadedness grew stronger, and Shido whimpered. “I don’t feel good.”

_ “Hey, hey.”  _ Wu Ming’s voice reassured him.  _ “This is expected. This is normal. Yer still alright. Yer still with us.” _

_ “...Something’s wrong, Wu Ming.” _

Shido felt two arms wrap around his chest, and the lightheaded feeling was gone. Everything was vivid around him again. The feeling of waking up had been jostled away by the sudden reality hitting him.

“I’m sorry,” he heard Nagito say from behind.

“N-Nagito?!” Shido exclaimed.

Wu Ming recognized him, too.  _ “Nagito! Nagito, what the fuck are ya doin’?! NAGITO!” _

_ “We’re losing them!”  _ The woman’s voice came again.  _ “Something’s going on!” _

“Commencing Neural Memory Mapping Animation character reset.”

_ “NAGITO, goddammit, NO! Don’t make Fuyuhiko and Hajime’s deaths in vain!” _

Nagito only gave a quiet, “But he can’t leave yet,” and that was the last thing Shido heard before the most splitting headache overcame him.

** _Shido Norihisa_ **

** _Age: 15_ **

** _Height: 5’7"_ **

** _Weight: 139 lbs_ **

** _Blood type: AB_ **

** _Birthday: September 15th_ **

** _Likes: Eyeliner, cats, raw cookie dough_ **

** _Dislikes: Claustrophobic areas, disapproval_ **

** _Talent: Ultimate Dancer_ **

** _Personality: Shy, self-hating, incapable of fending for self_ **

** _Background: Rich investor parents, no siblings, gained talent by dance competition_ **

** _R#()% N#(E: #(%*”,@(%_ **

**THAT IS WHO I AM. I AM SHIDO NORIHISA, ULTIMATE DANCER.**

**I AM SHIDO NORIHISA, ULTIMATE DANCER.**

**SHIDO NORIHISA, ULTIMATE DANCER.**

**SHIDO NORIHISA.**

**SHIDO.**

** _User: Nagito Weil_ **

** _Resetting characters..._ **

** _All .chr files reset._ **

** _Removing “Hajime Weil”..._ **

** _Hajime Weil.chr removed._ **

** _Neural Memory Mapping Animation...ONLINE._ **

** _Counselor Status: 1/6 remain active._ **

** _Student Status: 8/16 remain active._ **

** _Waiting for input…_ **

** _Seraphina: Online._ **

** _Sigma: Online._ **

** _Wu Ming: Online._ **

“...Well, shit.”

_ “Shit indeed.” _

“...”

“...I’m sorry, Wu Ming. I should have never given them those orders. I didn’t imagine he would actually...”

“I had him. I fuckin’ had him...”


	70. Chapter 5-9: Your Reflection Reveals Brutal Regrets

_ Ding dong, ding dong... _

_ “Attention, everybody! It is now eight AM, which means it’s time to get up and embrace the morning! I hope you all have a spectacular day here in Monolith Valley Summer School!” _

Another normal day in Monolith Valley...Or normal as it can be. And it was. There hasn’t been a single death or even a motive announcement recently. That has left them adequate time to plan any escape.

Shido began to put on his boots, then paused and looked around in confusion. He didn’t remember going to sleep in his dorm last night. In fact, when did he get here at all?

After a bit, he shrugged it off and returned to his daily routine. After applying his makeup like normal, he shuffled out the door to the dining hall.

As usual, everybody was there. Nobody was absent this time around, which was good.

“Shido?” Yuuki questioned. “Eh, why are ya shufflin’ around like that?”

“He always does, idiot,” Hiroko remarked coldly.

Yukio huffed. “Such a bitch, as always.”

“Well, you all are insufferable,” Hiroko simply said. “Especially you, Shido.”

“S...Sorry for anything I did, m-ma’am...” Shido muttered.

Kyou huffed. “You need to apologize for nothing, Shido! Nothing you have said or done violates any established rules! It is Hiroko who should apologize for her behavior!”

“Yo, do you ever tone it down?” Kohaku stuck a finger in her ear. “Your loud shiz gets on my nerves.”

Akihiko frowned. “Is it time to start the breakfast meeting, yet?”

“Of course! All eight of us are gathered, and nobody is missing, so it is a perfect time to do so!”

Everyone at once sat down. For a moment, Shido wondered why there were no gaps in the seats between everyone. There should be some, for those who had perished before them. However, he shook it off and returned to looking.

“Now, has anyone found any way to escape?” Kyou asked.

“As usual, nothin’ on my part,” Yukio said. “As I have said before, the lake is just a lake. It ain’t connected to any bodies of water.”

“Besides, we are in a valley,” Hiroko commented. “There is no way we would be close to an ocean or a river that goes out to one.”

“So no boat?” Daiki looked disappointed. “Man...”

“Eh, you shouldn’t have gotten excited,” Yuuki remarked. “The Ultimate Ship Captain doesn’t always need to be the captain.”

“Speaking of, what is your Ultimate talent?” Kohaku asked. “You never told us.”

“Eh, I don’t remember, as I said.” Yuuki shrugged. “Amnesia and all.”

Shido paused. He could have sworn he knew Yuuki’s talent. What was it...the Ultimate Clone? No, that’s silly. It was probably something else.

“And, uh...any knowledge on why Hope’s Peak hasn’t come for us, yet?” Akihiko asked. “It’s been a seriously long time.”

“Well, we could just break into the counselors’ room!” Kohaku suggested cheerfully.

“H-Hey!” Daiki exclaimed. “Is that a joke, or are you serious?”

“As serious as I am a purple goo from the cosmos possessing a human body by taking over the brain! Tee hee!”

Break into the counselor room...another familiar idea. A weird feeling grew in Shido’s stomach. Something just felt...so wrong. He just did not know what.

“So that’s it?” Hiroko asked. “No developments. I should have expected so from your pea-sized brains.”

“Hey, we’re all doin’ our best here, so don’t bitch!” Yukio complained.

Hiroko looked angry. “Shut up, you warpainted hobo!”

Yukio scoffed, obviously not taking the threat seriously. “Yea, I guess I am that, accordin’ to you.”

Yuuki huffed. “Eh, what do we do now, then? Just hang out with each other?”

“Or maybe we can snoop around!” Kohaku giggled. “Just run around the place and hope for a new development! Well, of course, a development without a murder involved.”

“Besides, all of the school’s parts are unlocked!” Kyou pointed out. “A murder would add nothing to our plates!”

Daiki smiled. “You can see the positives of our classmates’ deaths, huh?”

Kyou flushed red. “U-Um...Not really...Was that supposed to be a compliment?”

Everyone didn’t really stay after that. They began to scatter, leaving the dining hall or remaining to finish their meal. Shido was one who stayed, eating minimally, as usual.

He decided to dwell on the odd feeling he’s been having. It isn’t stressful, but it does make him a bit uncomfortable. It was just the strange feeling that...he’s done this before. And now that he’s lost all progress, he’s expected to do it again.

As he ate, he heard somebody sit in front of him at the table. Nobody ever sat with him. Confused, he looked up.

Before he had a chance to react, Kohaku grabbed him by the shoulders. Her eyes were wide and panicked, and her arms were shaking. She looked as if she were to be shot at any moment.

“Talk to me, Shi-Shi,” she whimpered. “Tell me I am not crazy. Tell me that you remember Nagito. You remember Hajime, Yuuki being the Ultimate Clone, the fire destroying everything...Shi-Shi, why are there trees now?! Why are the trees back, why aren’t they burnt?!”

Shido looked extremely uncomfortable. “K-K-K...Kohaku...why are you c-calling me Shi-Shi? Wh-What fire? A-And who are N-Nagito and Hajime?”

“...No.” Kohaku let go of him. “No, no, no, you...please, you have to remember. Why did everyone forget? Shi-Shi, why-?!”

Shido lunged away from Kohaku as if she were a crazy lunatic. “Wh-Wh-What are you doing?!” He screamed as everyone looked. “Wh-Why are you talking t-to me?! L-Leave me alone!”

“Please! Why won’t you remember me?! Remember our friendship, Shi-Shi!” She began to openly sob. “Why can’t you remember? Why do I hurt so bad?!”

Yukio ran over first. “Oi, Kohaku! What the hell is goin’ on?”

“Yukio! Please! The fire! Remember the fire!”

He immediately stepped back. “The fire? What fire?” He paused, then rushed to Shido, placing himself between him and Kohaku. “You’re talkin’ crazy!”

“Kohaku, stand down at once!” Kyou declared. “You’re frightening everybody here!”

“SHUT UP!” Kohaku suddenly yelled. “I KNOW you all can remember! You just choose not to! You don’t want to remember! And now, we’re repeating history! All it will do is cause more people to die!”

Shido ran out. He sprinted as fast as he could out of the dining hall, not looking back at Kohaku. She was insane, raving about things that never existed. He wanted to put a lot of distance between him and her.

Once he got outside, he looked around. The trees were lush and full of life, swaying in the breeze. As usual, no wildlife was around anywhere. He wished there were at least a few birds and squirrels out there.

He didn’t realize he was still walking until his head hit the fence around the school. He immediately flinched back, rubbing his head from the impact.

“H-Huh?” Shido wondered, looking at the fence. “Wh-Why did I walk out here?” He stared through the bars, gripping them slowly. It wasn’t like it was electrified or anything. They never had been.

Why did he think that in the first place? When have they ever been?


	71. Chapter 5-10: Your Reflection Reveals Brutal Regrets

The day didn’t feel like a day. It flowed with time, and Shido could remember it was a day, but it was strange and dysfunctional to him. He knew everybody was acting normal, but to him, it felt so strange. And there was always the feeling of...something missing. He didn’t know what.

Hiroko acted as standoffish and cruel to him as always. He always referred to her as ‘ma’am’. But for a moment, he nearly called her Hiroko, as if a friend would. And he wondered a bit why she wasn’t more open to him before being confused on where that came from.

Kyou was always so uptight, wasn’t he? Then why did Shido wonder why he didn’t show his emotional side more? And why he wasn’t so close to Daiki, as if he should be his closest companion?

Yuuki kept questioning things, and acted like the airhead Shido knew. He didn’t even know his Ultimate talent from amnesia, he proclaims. However, Shido could swear that he knew his talent, but just couldn’t think it up yet. And he could swear he can remember a few times where Yuuki has been more serious, but...just couldn’t recall them in detail.

Yukio always kept talking about his brother and HEADSHOT. But that just didn’t seem right. Yuji was long dead, and yet he was talking about him as if he were still there. And didn’t he once pull his clownish act together and haul his own weight?

Some people acted the same he believed they always did. Akihiko was still a big eater with a careless attitude. And Daiki was the soft, gentle giant that had an interest in the seas and other cultures.

But what scared him most were two people. Kohaku and...himself. And while he was scared of the way Kohaku was acting, he was terrified of the strange feeling within him.

Kohaku looked paranoid and almost mad throughout the whole day. She kept muttering under her breath, unable to pull herself together. She tried to act careless around the others, like she always had. But the mask was broken, revealing a mess that always kept looking over their shoulder. And she kept mentioning names that sounded familiar yet never having been uttered near Shido’s ears. Seraphina. Wu Ming. Nagito. Hajime. She would go on.

But he was more worries beyond Kohaku. They mainly laid within himself. He feels as if a huge part of him has been ripped out of his heart and tossed into the garbage. It was so confusing, yet heartstopping at the same time. He hadn’t felt like this before today, so why now?

In fact, what was yesterday? Or the day before that? He remembers the details, the deaths, and the executions. All of the blood remained vivid in his head. But he just couldn’t understand why there was a lack of other detailing in his head.

_ Ding dong, ding dong… _

_ “Ahem...This is a school announcement! It is now 10 PM, which means the rule of nighttime is in full affect. The dining hall will close in short time, and entering it is forbidden. Well, then! Goodnight! Have beary good dreams...” _

Oh. Nighttime. The conclusion to this disorientating day. Finally, Shido can go to bed and hide from everybody who hated and laughed at him behind his back.

Somehow, he had found himself in the observatory on the fourth floor. He was staring out of a telescope, hands on his lap. The stars were very pretty, tonight. Not a single cloud in the sky, or from all day. And the forest was full of the green, but still life it always had.

He began to stand up when the door opened. He froze like a deer in the headlights, looking with wide eyes at the door.

Yukio was just as startled. “O-Oh! Shido! I didn’t think anybody was up here.”

“Y-Yukio...” Shido muttered. “H-Hi.”

He laughed a bit. “Come on, aren’t we pals after all this time? Loosen up a bit! I’m not gonna kill ya!”

“B-But we’re all alone...it’ll be perfect t-to...”

“Hey, hey, I was just jokin’. Sorry, man. Probably not the best jest out there, huh?” When Shido didn’t respond, Yukio fully entered, closing the door behind him. “The stars are nice tonight, right?”

“Um...Yea.” Shido looked out the window at the sky. “Th-They are.”

“...What’s wrong now?” Yukio sighed. “You’re always so hum and drum!”

“W-Well, what’s the point in keeping my head up?” Shido wondered. “A-Aren’t we all going to die?”

“With that attitude, you certainly will!” Yukio replied. “Man, if Yuji was here, he would probably smack you into shape!”

“I-I guess...” Shido just went along with it.

“So, what are you doin’ up here?”

“Oh, you know, uh...admiring the stars. N-Nothing dangerous, I swear!”

“Hey, I know you wouldn’t kill anybody. You’re too shy to be a murderer.”

“D-Don’t use that as reasoning!”

“Man, you get worked up over everythin’!” Yukio crossed his arms. “You need to chill out.”

“I-I’m sorry...” Shido apologized.

“And stop apologizin’ for nothin’, too. You act so weird. Why don’t you just talk to us?” Yukio grinned and flexed an arm. “A team well-banded together always lasts long! Like HEADSHOT!”

“I...guess,” Shido said. “Um...wh-what are you doing here?”

“I just wanted to look at the stars before I went to bed,” Yukio replied. “That must be the same story with you, right?”

Shido shrugged a bit. “Yea...p-probably.”

Yukio tilted his head. “Probably?”

“W-Well, I mean...I kind of just wandered here. Th-That’s all.”

“Oh...Well, are you goin’ to stay around?”

“No! Well...no, I-I was about to leave when you walked in.” Shido twiddled his fingers together.

“Oh. Well, I don’t want to hold you up.” Yukio stepped away from the closed door. “You can go.”

“Th-Thank you.” Shido kept his head ducked as he slipped past Yukio and opened the door.

Shido’s eyes saw blood. A trail of it going across the floor. It stopped in the middle of the room, and began at the debate hall's door.

His entire body locked up. His eyes went wide. Slowly, he looked back and forth on the floor. He was trying to confirm it. It couldn’t be true. It couldn’t have happened again.

“Yukio!” Shido screamed at the top of his lungs.

Immediately, the Ultimate Gunner hopped out of the observatory room. “What?! What’s-?!” He followed Shido’s eyes to the floor, and at the blood. “O...Oh.”

“It couldn’t...it couldn’t have...h-happened again, right?” Shido stammered. “Another...”

Both of them looked at each other, then moved as one. Yukio scrambled to open the debate hall door. It slid open, Shido standing behind the other and ready to throw up if needed.

Blood. There was so much blood. It seemed almost impossible that all of it was from one human body. It was all over the podiums, the floor, and the tables in the middle.

Her corpse was lying like a butcher’s product on display on this very table. Multiple black spears were sinking into wherever they could. Head, limbs, torso, it didn’t matter. Where there was flesh, they struck. Her head looked back so her wide open eyes could stare at anyone who dared enter to witness the sight.

And Kohaku Hikozaemon’s life was long gone.

And Shido’s heart stopped beating for a good few seconds, only to be replaced with a rush of blood that allowed him to think clearly enough to register that he had fallen to his knees and then his chest, fainting on the floor.

**Chapter 5: Your Reflection Reveals Brutal Regrets**

**DEADLY LIFE**


	72. Chapter 5-11: Your Reflection Reveals Brutal Regrets

“Shido? Shido, wake up!”

Shido gave a weak groan, and opened his eyes. He could feel a particularly beefy pair of arms cradling his rather small body. He tilted his head up to see Daiki holding him. Kyou was on standby with a bottle of water.

Daiki looked relieved. “Oh, thank goodness you’re awake.”

Kyou knelt down and held out the bottle. “Do you require a drink?”

“I-It’s just a dizzy spell...” Shido rubbed his noggin. “I’ll be fine.”

As Daiki helped him up, he noticed the others gathered around. They were at the door in front of the debate hall. He must have been dragged out of it.

Yukio was leaning against the wall. “But I wouldn’t blame you for faintin’. Especially after what we saw in the debate hall.”

The debate hall. It all came back to Shido. The lifeless body strewn across the table to slowly rot away. The horrible stench of blood overloading his senses until he couldn’t take it anymore and completely shut down.

Kohaku Hikozaemon, the Ultimate Illusionist, and his third and only ally here...was dead.

“Ko...” The color left Shido’s face again. “Ko...haku?”

“D...Dead as a doorknob,” Hiroko remarked.

“N-No...” The dancer stood up, looking ready to vomit. “She...She can’t!”

“This is the truth,” Akihiko stated with a touch of sympathy. “Kohaku is truly dead. You saw it with your own eyes.”

Shido only let out a strangled cry. “She can’t be! She was...she was stronger than that!”

“Just shut up!” Hiroko snarled. “Kohaku is dead, and we cannot change that, peacock! Stop saying she isn’t as if it would change anything!”

Hiroko’s obvious stress was only making this worse. Shido couldn’t accept this, he wouldn’t. He was ready to empty his stomach right on the floor, or pass out again. The room was spinning, and sweat was pouring down his face.

And right then was a moment of clarity. Instead of sorrow, his mind only gave him confusion. This felt familiar...too familiar. As if he had done this before, said these words before...denied his friend’s death before.

But when? He couldn’t think of a time when he sobbed over someone like this...Was it Takehiko? Or Keiko? Maybe Tamotsu or Yuji...or even Yoshie. He just couldn’t remember those times...

“Hiroko, p-please...” Daiki stammered.

“Shut up.” Yuuki said in an eerily calm voice.

Hiroko gave pause to that. “Wh...What?”

“Kohaku was Shido’s closest friend, so of course he’s reacting like this. Any normal person would act the same way if in the same boat. But I guess you wouldn’t know since you have no friends.”

Shido knew. He knew this Yuuki. All of his airheaded behavior was an act, he knew it. This Yuuki was...so familiar to him. Everything was.

Hiroko paused. “You...Have we met before?”

Yuuki paused. “Eh? Whaddaya mean?”

“No, that tone you just used. It strikes me as if I have heard it from you before. I just don’t remember the when.”

“She’s right...” Daiki said. “Your standoffish behavior is a bit more...”

“Oh. That’s good.” Yuuki smiled. “Then that means that my theory was completely correct. If you do recognize my normal behavior, combined with what I know, it becomes obvious what happened.”

Shido looked confused. “Y-Yuuki...You actually are the Ultimate Clone. I thought that was a strange thing my mind made up, but...”

“It is completely the truth. But I believe I shouldn’t dilly-dally. Everyone, do you remember things about everyone else that haven’t been present?”

“...I...remember that...Hiroko was a lot nicer,” Yukio pitched.

“And that Kyou was a lot more open with his emotions,” Akihiko added.

“What do you mean?! I am perfectly capable of expressing emotion!” Kyou argued.

Yuuki went on. “And so, we remember things that others don’t remember divulging...that can only mean one thing. At some point in this game, our memories were erased because something happened.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!” Yukio called. “Slow down! I’m tryin’ to get this as we go!”

“Monokuma can arrive at any second, so I’m afraid slowing down is an impossibility. You all can think upon it later. As I was saying, I also know the point that our memories were erased: sometime yesterday.”

“H-How do you know?” Kyou asked.

“Because Kohaku’s behavior was different this morning. She spoke of things that none of us could register at first. She raved like a lunatic, but now when I think about it...she was trying to communicate the truth in a frenzy, as if having realized something was terribly wrong. She somehow kept her memories when ours were erased.” Yuuki pondered. “Though it isn’t like a memory erasure completely...more like us resetting to the beginning of this trip.”

Re...setting?!

_ ???: Commencing Neural Memory Mapping Animation character reset. _

“Like a...character reset?” Shido asked.

Yuuki looked a bit surprised. “Why...exactly. We didn’t exactly lose our memories, as we can recall bits and pieces. Instead, we seem to have been reset to a certain position...before something happened.”

“But what is that...something?” Akihiko asked. “What did we figure out?”

“It have to have been something related to Kohaku’s ramblin’s, right?” Yukio asked. “Like...the fire, and...these Nagito and Hajime guys?”

“That is exactly it,” Yuuki answered. “Something happened within Monolith Valley. Something that the mastermind didn’t want us to know or do.”

“Well, it doesn’t seem to involve something we know...” Hiroko said. “We can all remember some parts that we forgot.”

“Exactly. The mastermind didn’t care if we knew certain things. So instead, we had to have done something that alerted them. Perhaps an attempt to escape, or to learn more about Monolith Valley.”

“And that’s what happened to Kohaku!” Kyou realized. “She must have been killed by the mastermind!”

Daiki was surprised. “Such a big leap in what we know...are you sure?”

Yuuki nodded. “There is no doubt about it. One of two culprits could have killed Kohaku. One is the mastermind, who we know as Junko Enoshima.”

“Junko...Enoshima,” Akihiko repeated.

“The name ain’t ringin’ a bell!” Yukio exclaimed.

“Which is weird. Because I remember quite frankly what Kohaku relayed to me...she attended Hope’s Peak Academy. Just as we do. She is the Ultimate Fashionista, but prefers to call herself...the Ultimate Despair.”

“I’ve never heard of that talent,” Hiroko remarked. “Are you sure?”

“There’s more. Apparently, without us knowing...something happened to the outside world. The Biggest, Most Awful, Most Tragic Event in Human History...or something like that. The Tragedy, for short.”

“What’s...the Tragedy?” Daiki asked.

“Apparently, something that caused the world as we know it to end,” Yuuki answered. “Kohaku was never able to recover the details, or at least divulge them to me in detail. Either that, or this reset has made me forget. And that may possibly be why Hope’s Peak Academy hasn’t come for us...because there could very well be no Hope’s Peak anymore.”

No Hope’s Peak? But that was...impossible. It couldn’t be true. Hope’s Peak was one of the most prestigious academies, full of the best students. What Tragedy could have caused it to close down, or at worst be completely eradicated?

“The second possible culprit for having murdered her is Junko’s puppet among us,” Yuuki said. “The traitor within the class of 768-G. Or more exactly, one of us.”

“I-I’m no traitor!” Akihiko exclaimed. “Swear on it!”

“I have the same claim!” Kyou agreed. “I would never betray my classmates!”

“Regardless of what any of you say, I know that one of you has indeed worked alongside Monokuma this whole time. And if you come out now...”

“W-Wait!” Shido suddenly asked. “How do you remember so much when we barely even remembered each other?”

Yuuki paused at the interruption. He never got to complete his train of thought, either, because Monokuma suddenly appeared before them all.

Monokuma chortled. “You guys really are talking with each other about non-murdery things? Especially when one is on our hands at the moment!”

“You!” Akihiko exclaimed. “Come on, spill the details! Where’s Junko Enoshima?”

“Junko Eno-who?” Monokuma tilted his head. “I’ve never heard of such a student. Is she foreign?”

“Cut the crap!” Yukio joined in. “We know she’s the mastermind of this whole shitshow! Now just tell us who the traitor is!”

“Traitor? There’s a traitor among you?” Monokuma laughed. “Puhuhuhu! That just depends on perspective! As far as I know, there is no traitor to any of you.”

“Stop lying!” Kyou snapped. “We know that one of us seven, here and now, has betrayed the rest of us! Sold us out to Junko Enoshima!”

“Th-That’s why we’re here,” Shido added. “The traitor...lured us to this killing game, r-right?”

Monokuma sighed. “You guys really shouldn’t focus on matters that aren’t important to the narrative at the moment! Subplots don’t get resolved in the midst of a dramatic point in the storyline! That’s just poor writing!”

“This isn’t a story!” Daiki retorted. “This is real life!”

“But it doesn’t matter! I want some cohesion to this killing game! A bit of order in the chaos of despair!” Monokuma then turned to Shido. “That’s why I have this! My sleek and handcrafted...Monokuma File #5!”

As he said this, he pulled out a familiar-looking pad and held it out. Shido took it and looked it over. This was indeed a Monokuma File.

“No...” Daiki looked upset. “No, we can’t...be doing this again, can we?”

Hiroko clutched her hands close to her chest. “Well...Kohaku is dead. And we must commence a class trial to find her murderer. That is the rule of the killing game.”

Yuuki crossed his arms. “And we must investigate to find Kohaku’s murderer...whether it was Junko Enoshima or the traitor among us.”

Monokuma groaned. “Stop talking about some lady that doesn’t exist, and get on with investigating! Time is ticking, you know!”

As Monokuma peaced out, Yuuki looked at everybody. “Well? Shall we discover the identity of the traitor?”

“B-But what if it was the mastermind Junko who killed Kohaku?” Kyou asked. “Can we legibly vote for her?”

“I don’t think Monokuma would rig the game against us,” Yuuki responded. “He believes in fair trials, doesn’t he?”

Shido continued to stand still. Another investigation. He clutched the Monokuma File in his hands, staring down at it. He didn’t turn it on, at first.

It was like all he had learned from the previous ones went into one ear and leaked out the other. He couldn’t remember anything he did in the previous ones, or coming to the conclusions from before. Why couldn’t he remember anything? What happened to cause the reset that puts them at such an unfair advantage?

So many questions...that couldn’t possibly be answered. Their only source of information, Kohaku, was now dead. She died with all of the memories they now do not retain. And with her, the secrets of Monolith Valley have become unreachable at the time being.

But...that doesn’t matter. Nothing matters at this moment beyond trying to find the culprit. They needed to find them...the traitor! No matter what...the traitor, the murderer, the blackened must be exposed!

**INVESTIGATION START**


	73. Chapter 5: Investigation Period

First things first, the Monokuma File. Shido turned it on, finding he didn’t hesitate this time, unlike other times. He watched the file turn on, then began to read.

_ “The victim is Kohaku Hikozaemon, the Ultimate Illusionist. The body was discovered in the fourth floor debate hall. The body has multiple stab wounds all over the body, and blood has surfaced from the mouth.” _

“...What?” Shido questioned.

Yuuki noticed this. “What’s wrong?”

“The...time and cause of death...they’re not displayed in the Monokuma File. It just identifies the victim, where the body was found, and the state it was found in...”

“So you are saying information has been withheld,” Yuuki guessed.

“Yes...that’s exactly it.”

Yuuki began to think. “That’s never happened before...the time and cause of death have always been included within the Monokuma File. Why does Monokuma hold that info back now?”

It wasn't the mystery they needed to focus on, but it was certainly a strange thing. This will probably come up in the trial later on. Anything suspicious usually was.

**Monokuma File #5 was added to your Truth Bullets.**

In order to get more information on this murder, Shido must get a closer inspection of Kohaku’s body. He shuddered at the idea, but knew it had to be done. Looking at the debate hall, he slowly stepped inside.

Kohaku’s body hasn’t moved an inch from where it laid. Daiki and Yukio stood there, keeping watch over the body. Both Yuuki and Shido were the only ones inside, otherwise. Both of them took great care to not step in the blood around the debate hall.

“P-Poor Kohaku...” Shido whimpered.

“Save your sympathies,” Yuuki said to him. “We need to give the body a lookover to find what exactly happened.”

Daiki and Yukio let the two step by to investigate the corpse. However, Shido could feel them watching him, making sure he didn’t do anything funny. With a shiver going up his spine, he focused on the body on his friend in front of him.

The black spears going through Kohaku’s body had no identification to them. They couldn’t have come from the storage room. Shido hadn’t seen them in the recreational section of the campgrounds, either. He couldn’t really figure out where they came from.

Not only that, they were eerily familiar to him. As if he had seen them before somewhere. Not on display or something, but...in a murder scene like this, used in the exact same way. Puncturing through every visible spot in the body.

However, Shido wanted to test something, and turned to Yuuki. “Um...Yuuki? Do these look familiar to you somehow?”

“You mean if I’ve had a feeling I’ve seen them before,” Yuuki guessed.

“Y-Yea! Have you?”

“No. I can’t imagine a time or a feeling where I’ve seen these. What, have you?”

“Yea...I was going to assume it was because of the memory problem, but if you don’t remember seeing a thing like them...”

“It may be just that you saw something that none of us did,” Yuuki reassured him. “I could still very well be a memory from before the reset.”

So it can still be just a forgotten memory...so when could Shido have possibly seen these? Whether by being displayed or someone being harmed by them?

**Black Spears was added to your Truth Bullets.**

Continuing on with the investigation, Shido looked at Kohaku’s mouth. Blood was dripping down from her agape jaw and plinking onto the floor from where her head was hanging off of the table. There seemed to be no more surfacing, so she must have spat up the blood when she was still alive.

“I have some questions about that,” Yuuki suddenly stated.

Shido jumped a bit. “Wh-What, you mean...her spitting up the blood? Isn’t it normal when you’ve been stabbed all over?”

“Yes, but...it isn’t spitting blood. By the quantity, it’s more like she straight-up vomited.”

“So...wh-what does that mean?”

“...It’s a noteworthy detail,” Yuuki merely said.

A noteworthy detail? What did Yuuki mean by that? Would it be beneficial to save the information for the class trial?

**Blood From Mouth was added to your Truth Bullets.**

Shido noticed that Kohaku’s hand was clutching something. He reached out to take it from her grasp, finding that even in death, she held it tight. After a moment of fumbling with it, he managed to pry it from her hand and inspect it.

It was a brown bottle, with some sort of scientific label. There was a large “C” on one side, and a list of numerical things on the other. Shido couldn’t identify a single one. Inside the bottle was some sort of red-looking liquid traces.

“What is this...” he wondered.

Yuuki leaned to look at it as well. “Hm...it looks to be some sort of chemical?” He guessed.

“Th-Then is it from the science lab on the third floor?” Shido guessed.

“Perhaps...” Yuuki replied, though he had a thoughtful expression. “But maybe...” He nodded. “Alright. I will go look in the science lab. Can I trust you to look at the infirmary for me?”

“The infirmary?” Shido questioned. “Why there?”

“I just want you to look at the listed antidotes and poisons,” Yuuki replied. “That is all.”

“O-Okay...I will.”

What did Yuuki mean? Did he think this bottle could be from either location? There was really only one way to find out...

**Bottle C was added to your Truth Bullets.**

Before Shido left to look in the infirmary, he decided to look around the area more. There still can be crucial evidence that he’s missing. So as Yuuki left the room to head downstairs, Shido continued to snoop around in the debate hall.

He began to go through the files of the debate hall when he found something. It was a file, but with only a few papers in it. However, it looked like it could hold so much more. It was black, with a green snake symbol on it. And the name plaque read...Fuyuhiko Weil.

Now Shido’s curiosity was peaked. He opened the file and took out the only papers within it.

There were only two papers, and nothing else. The first one was a clean, white paper with neat penmanship. The other was a heavily redacted file that looked like it belonged to law enforcement instead of being in a school. First, Shido decided to look at the neat letter.

_ ‘To whoever finds this, _

_ If this is placed within Fuyuhiko’s file, it means that the worst has passed, and he has ceased activities [REDACTED]. I assume that you have found the key that unlocks his room, and found this. At this point, I believe that at least one of your colleagues have died in the Killing Game Season. My deepest apologies go out to you, especially as [REDACTED] is partially my fault. _

_ I will get to the point. Within this file lies almost all the answers you seek, even if you know some already. [REDACTED]. Your classmates. The counselors. Monokuma. And the mastermind Junko Enoshima, the Ultimate Fashionista...or the Ultimate Despair. _

_ If [REDACTED] is really on the outside of the summer school like he said he would, tell him I said good luck, and that [REDACTED] wish the same. On the other hand, if [REDACTED] is reading this, know that I grow tired of your increasingly sporadic and violent ways since the passing of [REDACTED]. _

_ [REDACTED]’ _

What was this? Shido couldn’t make heads or tails of this letter. It seemed to be an apology, or an introduction to what laid within the file. Then judging by what the letter dictated, there had been more, but they were removed from it.

Now, Shido moved on to the other paper. This one was so redacted, there were barely any visible words until the end.

_ [REDACTED] INVESTIGATION _

_ SUPPLEMENTAL REPORT _

_ CASE REFERENCE: HOMICIDE/FIRST DEGREE MURDER _

_ DATE OF OFFENSE: [REDACTED] _

_ VICTIM: [REDACTED] _

_ MURDER LOCATION: [REDACTED] _

_ CONVICTED KILLER: [REDACTED] _

_ CURRENT STATE: CONVICTED KILLER IDENTIFIED, CONVICTED KILLER ON THE RUN _

_ SPECIAL NOTES: THE VICTIM’S WIFE, [REDACTED], HAS TAKEN UPON THE ROLE OF [REDACTED] AFTER HUSBAND’S DEATH. _

_ [REDACTED] MAY HAVE FLED TO JAPAN TO ESCAPE FROM CONVICTION. _

What was this? A police report on a homicide? What was it doing in this file? And what's more...a convicted killer fleeing to Japan? Could it be possible that this killer is related to the Killing Game Season? Are they working for Junko?

**Fuyuhiko Weil’s File was added to your Truth Bullets.**

**Beginning Letter was added to your Truth Bullets.**

**Homicide Report was added to your Truth Bullets.**

That was all Shido was going to probably find in the debate hall. Closing the file cabinet, he began to walk out.

Once he stepped out, nobody other than Monokuma appeared. “Well? How goes it?”

Shido jumped back. “W-Waaagh! Monokuma?!”

“The one and only! Who else can it be? A crow? A rabbit? Or even a giraffe?”

Shido quickly regained himself. “Well...what brings you to me?”

“I was just coming to tell you something...a little something, an eensy-beensy something that helps the trial go by a bit more fairly! You’re lucky I’m such a sweet headmaster!”

Shido slowly nodded. “Um...Okay. What is it?”

“Just so you know before the trial begins...You should know a super-fun fact! The debate hall’s cameras are just as faulty as the game room’s!”

“You mean...they don’t work?” Shido guessed.

“Yup! For the game room and the debate hall, the cameras are 100% broken!” Monokuma sighed. “And you all exploited and hit me over the head with such a mishap...this is a summer school with limited funding! Not everything is going to work, you know!”

“The camera in the debate hall really doesn’t work...?”

“Ugh, yes! That’s what I just said! You don’t need to repeat me! But that’s all. Does that help your investigation?”

“Yea...I think it’s very valuable information. Thanks...I guess.”

“No problem! Anything for a student in need, as long as it doesn’t break the rules!” Monokuma quickly disappeared again.

So the debate hall’s cameras don’t work...something tells Shido that somehow, it wasn’t on accident that there was more than one room without a working camera system.

**Debate Hall’s Camera was added to your Truth Bullets.**

Before he went downstairs, Shido let himself look down at the blood trail that went from the debate hall to the staircase down. By now, it’s partially dried up, so he wasn’t afraid of scuffing it onto his boots too badly.

According to Yukio, when he came up here, the blood trail wasn’t here. That means it came after the nighttime announcement...so was that when Kohaku was murdered?

**Blood Trail was added to your Truth Bullets.**

Now that there were no other interruptions, Shido headed down to the first floor. Then, he entered the infirmary, wondering what exactly he was supposed to be keeping an eye out for.

He went to the back of the infirmary, towards the medicine cabinet. It was quite large, bigger than his whole body. He swung open the cabinet door and peered inside.

There were multiple shelves, all labelled with different numerical codes. They seemed to be sorted by usage. For example, all of the harmful chemicals and poisons were at the bottom. Why were there poisons in an infirmary?!

In the center were bottles labelled with letters. There were three of them, A, B, and D. They all had various amounts of numerical codes to the side, seeming to correspond with the dangerous chemicals in the cabinet. These must be...antidotes to poison?

However, Shido noticed Bottle C was missing. That’s right...Kohaku had it. But...according to these labels, Kohaku took one that cured the least poisons in this cabinet. Why would she take an antidote that cured so little of the poisons?

Investigating further, Shido noticed another strange thing. Bottle B, which cured the most amount of poisons, was only half full. The reddish liquid looked to belong to one of those flavored fever relievers parents have for their children. Upon tilting the bottle back and forth, the liquid moved like the syrup, too.

Though Shido’s attention was focused on it being only half-full. What happened to the rest of the contents?

**Alphabetical Antidote Bottles was added to your Truth Bullets.**

As he began to leave, he noticed another thing. The infirmary sink had something in it. Curious, Shido leaned over to have a better look.

It was some gold-looking liquid. With a finger, Shido scooped it up. It had the same sticky texture as the antidote in Bottle B. However, it was a completely different color, glimmering with a more yellow tint on his glove.

There wasn’t that much, either. Most of it seemed to have been washed away, but some traces remained. It looks like someone was in too much of a rush to clean it thoroughly.

As he washed it off, he wondered why it was in the sink. It didn’t seem to belong to any bottle he could identify in the infirmary. And it had the same texture as the antidotes. Where did it come from?

**Liquid Traces was added to your Truth Bullets.**

With nothing else inside of the infirmary for him, Shido walked out, and immediately, he bumped into Yuuki. It actually startled him, how close he was to the door.

Yuuki was unfazed by the run-in. “Ah, Shido. How did it go?”

“U-Um...You’re done?”

“Indeed. I found nothing of value in the science lab related to the investigation. That means that the bottle was from the infirmary, correct?”

“O-Oh, yea! Um...it was from the medicine cabinet, l-like you thought. There’s four bottles of antidotes related to all of the poisons in the cabinet as well. Kohaku had Bottle C, wh-while Bottles A, B, and D remained.”

Yuuki nodded. “So my theory was right...”

“Wh-What theory?”

“Shido, I must ask you another favor. Go find somebody who can remember the seating chart of dinner last night.”

Shido paused. “Wh-What? What will that do?”

“Trust me on this. Ask Kyou. He will probably know best, as the Ultimate Organizer.” Yuuki paused. “On that note...Where was everyone before the nighttime announcement?”

“W-Well...Yukio and I were upstairs, at the observatory. Yukio joined me just after the nighttime announcement.”

“Mm-hmm...I will go ask everybody their whereabouts before the announcement. Meanwhile, you ask Kyou the seating chart of dinner.”

“Huh? O-Okay.” Shido immediately shuffled off.

Shido found Kyou on the fourth floor, just outside of the debate hall. He seemed to be pacing, thinking about something.

“Um...Kyou?” Shido asked.

Kyou turned. “Ah, Shido! What brings you to us?”

“Y-You...You remember dinnertime, right? C-Can you remember where everybody was sitting?”

Kyou paused. “Where we were sitting...hm...Oh, yes! I can recite it to you, if that is what you wish to know!”

“Y-Yea. I want to know who was where.”

“Kohaku was sitting across from me and Daiki at one end of the first table. Yukio and Yuuki sat on one end of the second table, and Hiroko was at the other end. And you were all alone at the third table! Does that answer your question sufficiently?”

“Y-Yea...it does. Th-Thank you.”

**Dinner Seating Arrangements was added to your Truth Bullets.**

Before Shido could walk away, Yuuki suddenly arrived. “Kyou.”

Kyou was startled. “O-Oh! Yuuki! Hello there!”

“Where were you in the school before the nighttime announcement?”

“Hm...before the nighttime announcement, you say? Why, I was in the game room alone! Why do you ask?”

“Hm...alone?” Yuuki nodded. “Thank you for that.” He crossed his arms. “Now, excuse us so I can talk privately with Shido.”

“Huh? W-Well, okay!” Kyou walked off.

Yuuku then looked at Shido. “Well. I have everyone’s alibis, now.”

Shido nodded. “Okay...you do?”

“Before the nighttime announcement, Daiki and Hiroko were on the third floor, Yukio was in the second floor’s game room with Akihiko, you were in the observatory, and Kyou and I were on the first floor alone. So when Kohaku was theoretically murdered...only you, me, or Kyou could have done it.”

Shido looked shocked. “A-Are you accusing me?!”

Yuuki didn’t say anything at first, then replied, “I have no definite proof of it being anybody yet.”

**Everyone’s Alibis was added to your Truth Bullets.**

“However, I do want to know the seating arrangements. You were asking Kyou that, correct?”

“O-Oh...yea. Kohaku was with Kyou and Daiki-”

“Okay,” Yuuki suddenly said. “That’s all I need to know.”

“W...Wait, what?”

_ Ding dong, ding dong... _

_ “Ooooh, I’m getting bored of waiting! I’ve given you all enough time, so let’s move on to the main event! Please proceed outside to board the bus towards our class trial location!” _

Yuuki paused at that. “...Huh.”

“Wh-What do you mean...huh?”

“Not only was information withheld from the Monokuma File...this investigation seemed much shorter than usual.”

“A-Are you saying that Monokuma’s...unfairly balancing the trial in the murderer’s favor?” Shido guessed.

“There is no definite answer to that...for now,” Yuuki replied. “Let’s just get onto the bus and head out.”

By the time both of them arrived at the bus, everyone was already there. The transport vehicle was whirring, ready to whisk them all away for one more class trial. All of them were just waiting for Yuuki and Shido to arrive.

“Ah, good,” Hiroko said. “You’ve arrived.”

“I was assuming we would have been given more time to investigate,” Yuuki remarked. “Is that not the case now?”

Daiki shook his head. “It’s certainly been a shorter investigation than usual. But did you find enough evidence, you think?”

“There will be a lot of unexplained bits, but...I believe we have enough to pinpoint the killer,” Yuuki reassured him. “That’s all that matters in the end, correct?”

The bus’s radio turned on.  _ “Hey, hey, hey! Chop chop! It’s time to go!” _

“He’s really eggin’ us on,” Yukio remarked.

Akihiko frowned. “What’s the point of the rushing? Do you guys know?”

Yuuki actually seemed to consider that. “Perhaps that they are finally...”

Shido looked confused. “Y-Yuuki?”

“...Nothing. I am just thinking to myself. Let’s get on.” Yuuki boarded the bus first.

On the bus, everybody was spread out. Besides Daiki and Kyou sitting together for an odd reason, nobody shared a bus seat. Everybody merely stared ahead or out the window in a daze as they began to chug forward.

Shido looked at the empty seat next to him. Despite nobody ever having sat with him before, it feels like something is missing from it. Like somebody belonged there. Could it just be a feeling from the...character reset?

What was it, the character reset? How did it happen? What was done to possibly cause something so last resort? Shido decided to ponder on it as they moved along. They usually took a few minutes to get to their destination, so he had plenty of time to-

The bus stopped. Everybody looked confused. It hadn’t even been a minute since they started moving. Were they at their destination already?

The doors opened up and everyone stepped out cautiously. Shido fell in last, hiding behind the six others in front of him.

Despite only driving such a short distance, Shido couldn’t identify where they were. The trees were so thick, and nighttime hung so low that it was almost impossible to see in front of him. Luckily, the circle of podiums and Monokuma’s throne had lights on the tops, bringing attention to them. Kohaku’s podium was now filled with a crossed-out portrait of her. But however, Shido felt there was a podium missing...

Akihiko looked baffled. “This has to be super close to the school if there was such a short drive...how come we’ve never seen this before?”

Monokuma didn’t answer him. “Well?”

Hiroko frowned. “Well...what?”

“Get to your podiums! All of you! It’s time!”

Yukio seemed to seeth. “Don’t fuckin’ rush us, man! Geez! You’ve been scoochin’ us along this entire time!”

Daiki frowned. “Yes, what’s with that? You seem to be in a hurry to get this over with...”

“What, ya want me to put a time limit on the class trial, too?!”

“N-No thanks!” Kyou stammered. “We can manage our own time!”

“And moody, too...” Hiroko remarked. “Just what is going on...”

So many mysteries bubbled up into unanswerable questions. What was going on with Monokuma? The character reset? And most importantly at the moment...who dared to take the life of Shido’s closest companion?

The curtain has lifted on the fifth act in this play. It is time to entertain the partygoers with a class trial...one that decides who lives and who dies!

For Kohaku and Tamotsu and even Takehiko...a conclusion that concurs nothing but justice must be finalized!


	74. Chapter 5: 5th Class Trial-1

**A HURRIED INVESTIGATION, A LACK OF EXPLANATIONS, AND MYSTERIES ALL AROUND...WHAT RELATES TO WHAT? TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE IN THIS CLASS TRIAL!**

**Truth Bullets: 12/12**

**Monokuma File #5 [Counselor File #5]: The victim is Kohaku Hikozaemon, the Ultimate Illusionist. The body was discovered in the fourth floor debate hall. The body has multiple stab wounds all over the body, and blood has surfaced from the mouth.**

**Black Spears [White Blades]: Multiple spears were found protruding from Kohaku’s body. There is no indication as to where they have come from. To Shido, they seem strangely familiar.**

**Blood From Mouth [Blood From Wounds]: Kohaku had not spit up blood, but vomited it. According to Yuuki, there is no way the black spears in her body would have done that.**

**Bottle C [Bottle A]: A strange bottle labelled with the letter “C” and a small amount of numerical codes was found in Kohaku’s hand. There are traces of a red, syrupy liquid within it.**

**Fuyuhiko Weil’s File [Unknown’s File]: A folder was found stuffed into the debate hall. The label on it is ‘Fuyuhiko Weil’. Judging by the creases and size, it seems to have held a lot of papers. However, when it was found, only two pieces of paper were within it.**

**Beginning Letter [Closing Letter]: The first file in Fuyuhiko’s file. It follows as: ‘To whoever finds this,**

**If this is placed within Fuyuhiko’s file, it means that the worst has passed, and he has ceased activities [REDACTED]. I assume that you have found the key that unlocks his room, and found this. At this point, I believe that at least one of your colleagues have died in the Killing Game Season. My deepest apologies go out to you, especially as [REDACTED] is partially my fault.**

**I will get to the point. Within this file lies almost all the answers you seek, even if you know some already. [REDACTED]. Your classmates. The counselors. Monokuma. And the mastermind Junko Enoshima, the Ultimate Fashionista...or the Ultimate Despair.**

**If [REDACTED] is really on the outside of the summer school like he said he would, tell him I said good luck, and that [REDACTED] wish the same. On the other hand, if [REDACTED] is reading this, know that I grow tired of your increasingly sporadic and violent ways since the passing of [REDACTED]. **

**[REDACTED]’**

**Homicide Report [Prisoner Report]: The second file in Fuyuhiko’s file. It follows as: [REDACTED] INVESTIGATION**

**SUPPLEMENTAL REPORT**

**CASE REFERENCE: HOMICIDE/FIRST DEGREE MURDER**

**DATE OF OFFENSE: [REDACTED]**

**VICTIM: [REDACTED]**

**MURDER LOCATION: [REDACTED]**

**CONVICTED KILLER: [REDACTED]**

**CURRENT STATE: CONVICTED KILLER IDENTIFIED, CONVICTED KILLER ON THE RUN**

**SPECIAL NOTES: THE VICTIM’S WIFE, [REDACTED], HAS TAKEN UPON THE ROLE OF [REDACTED] AFTER HUSBAND’S DEATH.**

**[REDACTED] MAY HAVE FLED TO JAPAN TO ESCAPE FROM CONVICTION.**

**Debate Hall’s Camera [Observatory’s Camera]: According to Monokuma, the debate hall’s camera does not function, much like how the game room’s camera is broken.**

**Blood Trail [Clean Floor]: When Yukio went up to the observatory and talked to Shido, there was no blood trail. However, when both exited a few moments later, there was one.**

**Alphabetical Antidote Bottles [Numerical Poison Bottles]: In the infirmary, there are four antidote bottles that cure all of the poisons. Bottle C, the one that cured the least amount of poisons, was taken. Bottle B, the one that cured the most amount of poisons, is only half-full, and filled with red syrupy liquid.**

**Liquid Traces [Bare Sink]: In the infirmary sink, there were traces of a gold liquid. It has the same syrupy texture as the red liquid.**

**Dinner Seating Arrangements [Breakfast Seating Arrangements]: According to Kyou, Kohaku was sitting across from him and Daiki at one end of the first table, Yukio and Yuuki sat on one end of the second table while Hiroko was at the other end, and Shido was all alone at the third table.**

**Everyone’s Alibis [Everyone’s Lies]: Before the nighttime announcement, Daiki and Hiroko were on the third floor, Yukio was in the second floor’s game room with Akihiko, Shido was in the observatory, and Kyou and Yuuki were on the first floor separate from each other. Yuuki says that when Kohaku was theoretically murdered, only Shido, Yuuki, or Kyou could have done it.**

**Monokuma:** Let’s begin with a basic explanation of the class trial! So, your votes will determine the results! If you can figure out whodunnit, then only they will receive punishment! But if you pick the wrong one...Then I’ll punish everyone besides the blackened, and the one who deceived everyone else will graduate!

**Daiki: ** Alright, then. How do we start this time?

**Akihiko: ** Well, maybe we should start by confirming that Kohaku is actually dead, right?

**Yukio: ** Huh? Whatcha mean by that?

**Akihiko: ** Kohaku was the Ultimate Illusionist. Not only that, she was the one most outspoken against the game. Couldn’t she have possibly faked her death to throw Monokuma off?

**Yuuki: ** No. There is no possible way Kohaku faked her death.

**Kyou: ** You say that with such confidence...are you sure?

**Yuuki: ** Well, just talk about what you know, if you are so definite.

_ State your case! _

**Truth Bullets:**

**Blood From Mouth [Blood From Wounds]**

**Monokuma File #5 [Counselor File #5]**

**Black Spears [White Blades]**

**Akihiko: ** I mean, there is certainly the Monokuma File detailing her death...

**Akihiko: ** But did she  **really die?**

**Hiroko: ** The Monokuma File doesn’t say her  **cause of death** ...

**Hiroko: ** It doesn’t say  **the time of death** either.

**Yukio: ** Kohaku was the Ultimate Illusionist...

**Kyou: ** Then should we go back and check the body?

**Daiki: ** Well, perhaps Kohaku faked her death, then.

**Yuuki: ** And you say that with such confidence?

**Akihiko: ** I mean, is there anything that says otherwise?

**Akihiko: ** The spears can definitely be fake.

**Daiki: **So **the blood is** **completely fake?**

**Akihiko: ** Definitely! To give the illusion of death!

** _Shido: _ ** _ Is Kohaku’s death truly one of her illusions? While I can’t say for certain, there’s definitely some strong evidence that contradicts this claim. _

**the blood is completely fake?** \-  **Blood From Mouth**

** _Shido: _ ** _ No, that’s wrong! _

_ Break!! _

**Shido: ** If the death really was fake...there wouldn’t have been so much blood from the mouth.

**Hiroko: ** Blood...from the mouth?

**Shido: ** Yuuki said this himself...Kohaku didn’t just spit up blood. She vomited a large amount. This left visible tracks on her face. If the blood was fake, and by extension her death, why pour so much all over your face to mimic something like that?

**Yukio: ** Eugh...I wish it was fake. Vomitin’ up blood does not sound pretty.

**Daiki: ** But Shido is right...there would be no purpose. If you wanted to fake a death by stabbing, you wouldn’t make it look like you threw up your innards, right?

**Akihiko: ** So Kohaku actually is dead?

**Kyou: ** Not only that, but you say the spears did not cause the excessive vomiting! So what did?

**Yuuki: ** Just think back to evidence we found at the crime scene. We found something that should clarify what exactly caused the vomiting.

** _Shido: _ ** _ What caused Kohaku’s vomiting...it has to be related to that thing I found on her body. _

**Monokuma File #5**

**Black Spears**

**Blood From Mouth**

**>>Bottle C**

**Fuyuhiko Weil’s File**

**Beginning Letter**

**Homicide Report**

**Debate Hall’s Camera**

**Blood Trail**

**Alphabetical Antidote Bottles**

**Liquid Traces**

**Dinner Seating Arrangements**

**Everyone’s Alibis**

** _Shido: _ ** _ Could it be this? _

**Shido: ** Kohaku’s vomiting of blood was from her being poisoned.

**Kyou: ** Wh-What?! Poison?!

**Akihiko: ** Seriously?! There’s accessible poison here?!

**Hiroko: ** How are we surprised...

**Shido: ** Let me explain. When Kohaku died, she had been holding a bottle of medicine. Poison antidote, to be exact. And she had apparently drank the entire bottle, because it was almost completely empty.

**Yuuki: ** Nobody would drink an entire bottle of liquid antidote unless they knew that they were poisoned. Kohaku must have had the bottle, vomited, then took the antidote in an attempt to save her life.

**Daiki: ** Wait, but that makes no sense!

**Yukio: ** Yea...if that’s true, wouldn’t she had died in the infirmary? She would have had to get the antidote!

**Shido: ** It’s the truth. Kohaku’s vomiting could have only come from poison, and she somehow knew about it, which is why she had the antidote bottle.

**Hiroko: ** So the spears were to finish the job?

**Akihiko: ** No way! She had to have died by poison! There’s no way she had the antidote bottle on her!

**Daiki: ** That’s true...that’s just either paranoia or extreme luck.

**Yukio: ** The spears and bottle are planted evidence, then! Kohaku died by poisonin’, right?

**Yuuki: ** Split at the seams again...you all love to argue.

** _Monokuma:_ ** _ Split at the seams, you say? _

**Monokuma: ** It seems that the time has come for our favorite part of the class trial! Everyone, please remain in your seats while they are arranged!

** _Shido: _ ** _ Kohaku’s death...this one is a complicated matter. But I believe in the firm truth that Kohaku was able to recover from the poison! I know her! And everyone has to know her, too! _

**SPLIT OPINION**

**Team Blanc:**

**Daiki, Akihiko, Yukio, Hiroko**

**Team Noir:**

**Shido, Yuuki, Kyou**

**Keywords:**

**Shido: Props**

**Shido: Quantity**

**Shido: Cure**

**Yuuki: Bottle**

**Yuuki: Carried**

**Kyou: Predict**

**Kyou: Spears**

**What was the true cause of Kohaku’s death?**

**Team Blanc: It was by poisoning!**

**Team Noir: It was by the spears!**

**DEBATE SCRUM START!**

**Yukio: ** Kohaku would have had to go and get the bottle to cure the poison.

** _Shido: _ ** _ Yuuki! _

**Yuuki: ** I have a firm belief in that the  **bottle** was always on Kohaku’s body.

**Daiki: ** Kohaku couldn’t possibly predict that she would have been poisoned!

** _Shido: _ ** _ Kyou! _

**Kyou: ** Kohaku was very smart, so she can  **predict** a lot of things accurately!

**Yukio: ** The spears have to be just some props, right?

** _Shido: _ ** _ I’ll do it! _

**Shido: ** Just because we never saw the spears before doesn’t mean they’re  **props** .

**Akihiko: ** The quantity of spears in her body took time to put in-She couldn’t have been taken by surprise!

** _Shido: _ ** _ I’ll do it! _

**Shido: ** The poison probably weakened her and left her susceptible to being punctured by a large  **quantity** of spears, though.

**Daiki: ** If all of those spears were used to kill Kohaku, how were they carried?

** _Shido: _ ** _ Yuuki! _

**Yuuki: ** How the killer  **carried** the spears may potentially not matter at all.

**Hiroko: ** How could she have guessed what antidote would cure her?

** _Shido: _ ** _ I’ll do it! _

**Shido: ** All of the antidotes in the infirmary can  **cure** multiple poisons.

**Akihiko:** Why are you adamant about the spears having killed Kohaku?

** _Shido: _ ** _ Kyou! _

**Kyou: ** Because it is a fact that the  **spears** are the murder weapon, not poison!

**FULL COUNTER**

** _Team Noir: _ ** _ THIS IS OUR ANSWER! _

** _BREAK!!_ **

**Akihiko: ** Wait, so...the spears really did kill Kohaku?

**Kyou:** Yes! That is what we were trying to communicate!

**Yukio: ** But it...still doesn’t make sense. How did she know she was goin’ to be poisoned? She had the bottle on her primed and ready to gulp down!

**Shido: ** Not only that, there’s another detail about the poison that bothers me...

**Monokuma File #5**

**Black Spears**

**Blood From Mouth**

**Bottle C**

**Fuyuhiko Weil’s File**

**Beginning Letter**

**Homicide Report**

**Debate Hall’s Camera**

**Blood Trail**

**>>Alphabetical Antidote Bottles**

**Liquid Traces**

**Dinner Seating Arrangements**

**Everyone’s Alibis**

** _Shido: _ ** _ Could it be this? _

**Shido: ** There are four antidote bottles in the infirmary, each having a varying range of what and how many poisons they cure. Kohaku had Bottle C. In other words, the antidote that cures the least amount of poisons. So my question is...If Kohaku indeed know she was going to be poisoned, why did she grab the antidote bottle that had the smallest chance of working?

**Daiki: ** While she could have predicted she would be poisoned, she couldn’t possibly predict by which poison. So by just being smart, she would have grabbed the antidote bottle that cured the most poisons, right?

**Yuuki: ** So you’re confused about the poison bottle? I guess that it does throw one off for a moment.

**Hiroko: ** So you know why Bottle C was selected, despite being the least likely to work?

**Yuuki: ** I know why it was: it was never chosen at all.

**Yukio: ** What? Yes, it was! The bottle’s in her hand and everythin’!

**Yuuki: ** I should put it better, then. Kohaku definitely took Bottle C, and drank out of it. But was what she drank out of it really the antidote designated to Bottle C?

_ State your case! _

**Truth Bullets:**

**Bottle C [Bottle A]**

**Alphabetical Antidote Bottles [Numerical Poison Bottles]**

**Liquid Traces [Bare Sink]**

**Akihiko: ** Kohaku  **took the antidote** from the infirmary...

**Akihiko: ** And drank it to get rid of the poison, right?

**Hiroko: ** Perhaps she was  **just in a rush ** to take any antidote to check the labels.

**Yuuki: ** I think she would have been more cautious of what she was taking.

**Daiki: ** But  **she definitely took the antidote in Bottle C** , right?

**Kyou: ** What is the point of arguing about this?

**Kyou: ** I thought we already concluded Kohaku took the antidote to stave off the poison!

**Yuuki: ** Kohaku definitely took some antidote.

**Yuuki: ** I’m just asking if it was truly Bottle C.

** _Shido: _ ** _ Something is leading Yuuki to believe that Kohaku took a different antidote...Perhaps if I can recall the other antidotes, I can find the thread he spotted. _

**she definitely took the antidote in Bottle C** \-  **Alphabetical Antidote Bottles**

** _Shido: _ ** _ No, that’s wrong! _

_ Break!! _

**Shido: ** Bottle C wasn’t the only antidote that had been touched, however. Another antidote bottle had been tampered with. To be exact, Bottle B. And according to the label on it, that one actually cures most, if not all of the poisons placed in the infirmary.

**Hiroko: ** How convenient...Like a video game’s restore potions.

**Yukio: ** Then you’re sayin’ that Kohaku drank from Bottle B, instead?

**Yuuki: ** No. It’s more of a combination of our theories. Can you understand what I am getting at, Shido?

** _Shido: _ ** _ A combination...of both Bottle C and Bottle B...what would that be? _

Bottle C with Bottle B’s label

Bottle B with Bottle C’s contents

**>>Bottle C with Bottle B’s contents**

** _Shido: _ ** _ I got it! _

**Shido: ** Are you saying that the antidotes in the two bottles were switched?

**Yuuki: ** More like Bottle C’s liquid was removed, and part of Bottle B’s placed in it. As we remember, it was still half full in the infirmary cabinet.

**Shido: ** Right...and I’m almost definite the contents in the bottle at this moment, the red liquid, is the cure of Bottle B, not C.

**Akihiko: ** Hey, don’t leave us in the dust! Let’s take this slower, why don’t we?

**Shido: ** Yuuki’s theory is that the antidote of Bottle C was washed out. In turn, half of Bottle B’s liquid was placed into the now-empty container. That’s why Kohaku had Bottle C instead of any other one. It still had the most probable cure that would save her life.

** _Akihiko: _ ** _ I think you’re off-track there! _

**Akihiko: ** That’s a huge leap there, Shido. I have to say that you must be looking at this in the wrong perspective. That’s too much work on Kohaku’s side, don’t you think?

**Shido: ** Akihiko, a lot of evidence shows that the antidote from Bottle B replaced the contents of Bottle C.

**Akihiko: ** But it makes no sense, you see? Kohaku was dying! Why would she fumble around with the bottles as she was vomiting blood?! I’ll show you the right sense around here! The bottles were never swapped, and I can prove it!

** _Rebuttal Showdown Start!_ **

**Truth Knives:**

**Liquid Traces**

**Bottle C**

**Alphabetical Antidote Bottles**

**Blood From Mouth**

**Akihiko: ** Kohaku got the antidote in the first place...

**Akihiko: ** Because she knew she had been poisoned at that point.

**Akihiko: ** She was probably  **already vomiting up blood!**

**Akihiko: ** So why would she waste her time swapping the bottles?

**Akihiko: ** And also, by your logic at the moment...

**Akihiko: ** That means the contents of Bottle C just  **disappeared into thin air!**

_ Advance! _

**Shido: ** Kohaku may have registered she had some time before the poison kicked in.

**Shido: ** She was able to hurry herself up all the way to the debate hall, after all.

**Akihiko: ** Well then, she drank half of Bottle B in the infirmary!

**Akihiko: ** And then  **she drank Bottle C** for good measure!

**Akihiko: ** So I bet she just took both of the antidotes for double the effect!

**Akihiko: ** She wouldn’t have distracted herself with overcomplicating things!

** _Shido: _ ** _ While it’s true that it’s almost impossible to understand why Kohaku swapped the contents, she definitely did do it. But that does leave a problem: where did the liquid of Bottle C go if Kohaku replaced it with the liquid of Bottle B? _

**disappeared into thin air!** \-  **Liquid Traces**

** _Shido:_ ** _ I’ll cut your argument in half! _

_ Break!! _

**Shido: ** Kohaku did not drink any bit of Bottle C. She washed it out in the infirmary sink.

**Akihiko: ** What makes you say that?

**Shido: ** I think Kohaku was indeed in a rush, like you said. However, she still took the time to swap the contents of the bottles. However, she didn’t wash out the sink completely when she poured Bottle C’s antidote out to make room for Bottle B’s. That’s why there are traces of gold liquid that have the exact same texture as Bottle B’s antidote inside of the sink.

**Yukio: ** Then Bottle C’s contents really did get dumped out?

**Yuuki: ** Kohaku never drank a single drop. Instead, she administered a better working poison to her by use of the bottle that has the lesser antidote.

**Daiki: ** But why go through all of that effort?

**Kyou: ** Yes, it makes quite no sense, in my opinion!

**Yuuki: ** Well, there is no definite proof to what I am about to say, so just hear me out.

**Akihiko: ** The floor is yours.

**Yuuki: ** Kohaku knew that no matter what she did, she would die. Curing the poison in her body would only delay what she probably saw as the inevitable. She was the most openly against the mastermind and the killing game, after all. She was becoming a thorn in Junko’s side. So either she or the traitor amongst us proceeded to kill Kohaku to quiet her. That is why she swapped the labels...she wanted just a tiny bit more time. It was a desperate attempt to delay the inevitable.

**Daiki: ** Well...do we have any evidence for that?

**Yuuki: ** ...No. To be honest, it is only a theory. You can interpret her actions however you wish. However, the antidote did work, though she still had regurgitated a large amount of blood.

**Kyou: ** And that’s when she went from the infirmary to the debate hall a few floors up, correct? But at what time?

**Yukio: ** It definitely wasn’t around 10:00. I would have seen her, since I was goin’ up the stairs to the fourth floor, too.

**Yuuki: ** Ignore the time. We can do without it.

**Shido: ** H-Huh?

**Yuuki: ** All we need is the information to find the killer, correct? We have it. There’s no need to theorise things we cannot solve. We would be wasting precious time.

**Hiroko: ** Well, what do you suppose we speak of, then?

**Yuuki: ** Why it was the debate hall Kohaku chose to hide in, of course. Where she spent her last moments, her last actions. What secrets does the debate hall hold?


	75. Chapter 5: 5th Class Trial-2

**Yuuki** : Kohaku wanted to go to, of all places, the debate hall on the fourth floor.

**Yukio** : So you want us to find the reason she went there to die?

**Yuuki** : Once we find that out, we can discover the motive to why she was killed.

_ State your case! _

**Truth Bullets:**

**Fuyuhiko Weil’s File [Unknown’s File]**

**Debate Hall’s Camera [Observatory’s Camera]**

**Blood Trail [Clean Floor]**

**Daiki:** So there was definitely a reason for Kohaku to go to the debate hall.

**Kyou: ** Not only that, Yuuki specifically stated...

**Kyou: ** Kohaku knew she was to die, and accepted it.

**Hiroko: ** So she spent her last moments with us...

**Hiroko: ** To try and help us, right?

**Akihiko: ** But what was the help she was going to give us?

**Daiki: ** Maybe it was  **some information?**

**Hiroko:** Perhaps it was  **a special weapon.**

**Yukio: ** Well, ain’t it related to the debate hall?

**Kyou: ** Then it must be  **a boost in class trials!**

**Akihiko: ** But why would Kohaku die for that?

**Yuuki: ** Kohaku was to die anyways.

**Yuuki: ** Why she delayed it as much as possible is what we are answering here.

** _Shido: _ ** _ According to Yuuki’s theory, Kohaku wanted to give us something to help us. But what was it she was going to give us? _

**some information? ** \-  **Fuyuhiko Weil’s File**

** _Shido:_ ** _ Your logic is irrefutable! _

_ Consent! _

**Shido: ** Daiki’s right. The reason why Kohaku went to the debate hall is that there was valuable information there. She probably wanted to pass it along to one of us if she was indeed going to die, but failed to have enough time to do so.

**Daiki: ** Just as I thought. The debate hall has a lot of drawers, so it’s a good place to hide stuff.

**Yukio: ** Wait, what exactly did you find, then?

**Shido: ** A file. It was black, with the symbol of a snake on it. And the name plaque on it dictates that it belonged to a “Fuyuhiko Weil”.

**Akihiko: ** This file was in the debate hall? But it seems so...out of place.

**Yuuki: ** It probably wasn’t originally in the debate hall. Kohaku knew it was there, so she had probably taken it from somewhere else and proceeded to hide it in the debate hall.

**Kyou: ** But why the debate hall? It’s so far and such an unnecessary travel, not to mention suspicious!

** _Shido: _ ** _ It’s true that hiding these files on the fourth floor seems to just make it harder for Kohaku...but there was a specific reason why the debate hall was chosen! That reason was... _

**Monokuma File #5**

**Black Spears**

**Blood From Mouth**

**Bottle C**

**Fuyuhiko Weil’s File**

**Beginning Letter**

**Homicide Report**

**>>Debate Hall’s Camera**

**Blood Trail**

**Alphabetical Antidote Bottles**

**Liquid Traces**

**Dinner Seating Arrangements**

**Everyone’s Alibis**

** _Shido: _ ** _ Could it be this? _

**Shido: ** It’s because that much like the game room’s cameras, the debate hall’s cameras don’t work. Ask Monokuma!

**Hiroko: ** Does he tell the truth, Monokuma? Do the debate hall cameras not work?

**Monokuma:** Not a bit! They were either installed incorrectly or hacked by a third party!

**Akihiko: ** Third party...?

**Monokuma: ** Oops! Spoiler alert!

**Shido: ** Anyways, it seems that Kohaku knew these cameras didn’t work. That’s why she hid the file in the debate hall.

**Yukio: ** But the game room is much closer! Why didn’t Kohaku use it?

**Akihiko: ** Well, that one’s obvious. Everyone knew the game room’s cameras were faulty. You would rather hide something important in a room that nobody knew had broken cameras.

**Yuuki: ** The most important thing about the file at the moment is who owns it. This Fuyuhiko Weil.

**Shido: ** The...contents don’t matter?

**Yuuki: ** Both papers are almost entirely censored. There’s no important information we can glean from them.

**Daiki: ** But Kohaku saw them as important.

**Yuuki: ** That’s because when she was alive, there was something different about the file. Do you know that, Shido?

** _Shido: _ ** _ A difference between the files and now...that would have to be... _

They were empty

**>>They were full**

Nothing changed

** _Shido: _ ** _ I got it! _

**Shido:** Between now and before Kohaku died, there must have been a lot more papers in that file. Stuff that was not only readable, but extremely important to be known.

**Yuuki: ** The killer, whether it be the traitor or Junko Enoshima, knew that these files could undermine not only the killing game, but Monolith Valley Summer School as a whole. That’s why they stood by no longer and proceeded to kill her.

**Kyou: ** So she went up to the debate hall and attempted to grab the file so she could pass it onto us...but instead, she was ambushed and killed!

**Yuuki: ** And that’s when the killer took the most important files, leaving only the most censored and indecipherable ones. They’ve made sure that whatever Kohaku knew, it died with her.

**Hiroko: ** So now...we have two questions. Who is Fuyuhiko Weil? And where did the file come from in the first place?

**Yuuki: ** When you think about it, the first one is easy to answer. And that in turn will answer the second question. It all traces back to one organization, the ones working to destroy the killing game...Insurrection’s Abyss.

**Kyou: ** Insurrection’s Abyss? I have never heard of them!

**Shido: ** Neither have I, but...the name is familiar.

**Yuuki: ** You can attribute that to the reset. Before it, a threat to the killing game was made clear: an organization who threatens to destroy the whole universe and cover it in darkness: Insurrection’s Abyss.

**Daiki: ** They’re involved in this case?

**Yuuki: ** And if you are able to remember their actions in the killing game, you would know why, and how. You can remember them, right Shido?

** _Shido: _ ** _ Remembering this group and what they did...it’s obviously a huge part of this case. This won’t be easy to shift through forgotten memories, but...if it is to bring the traitor out to light and give Kohaku’s spirit rest...I’ll do it! _

**INNER MOTORWAY**

**Question 1: What did Insurrection’s Abyss do in the killing game?**

Manipulate the murders

**>>Plant a mole**

Endorse the killing game

**Question 2: What group was this mole a part of?**

**>>The counselors**

The students

Completely independant

**Question 3: Who was the mole?**

The Princess

Hope

**>>The Yakuza**

_ Complete! _

**Shido: ** My memory is a bit fuzzy, but...Insurrection’s Abyss placed a mole among the counselors, to try and save as many lives as possible. This mole was...The Yakuza.

**Akihiko: ** So the Yakuza is connected to Fuyuhiko Weil?

**Yuuki: ** Deeply. In fact, they’re most likely the same person. That would explain the presence of the file.

**Yukio: ** Huh?! The same person?! How?!

**Yuuki: ** It’s obvious that Kohaku found the file somewhere that nobody else would go. Shido, if Fuyuhiko Weil is indeed the Yakuza, where would that file come from?

** _Shido: _ ** _ That’s obvious. The file would come from... _

The storage room

**>>The Yakuza’s room**

Kohaku’s room

** _Shido: _ ** _ I got it! _

**Shido: ** If they’re one and the same, Fuyuhiko’s file must have came from the Yakuza’s room. That is the most hidden place I can think of.

**Kyou: ** But then how could Kohaku have possibly gotten in?

**Yuuki: ** There’s not really a way to know that now. Especially due to the memories lost from the character reset. But what matters is now we have a clear reconstruction of the murder of Kohaku Hikozaemon.

**Yukio: ** Uh, we’re missin’ a part.

**Hiroko: ** Yes...the murderer themselves.

**Daiki: ** We figured out everything, so...what more can we use to find out the killer?

**Yuuki: ** We have the correct tools at our disposal. All we need to do is think about the poison. Or in exact terms, how it could have possibly been given to her.

**Akihiko: ** Well, it was obviously given to her without her knowing, right?

** _Shido: _ ** _ ...Right. He’s right! The only time where Kohaku could have been poisoned... _

Breakfast

Lunch

**>>Dinner**

** _Shido: _ ** _ I got it! _

**Shido: ** Since the poison caused her to run up to the debate hall, where she was ambushed and killed, the only time she would have been poisoned and for the effects to kick in when she went up...that would have been at dinner.

**Kyou: ** But we don’t know the time of death, however! It could have been any other time!

**Daiki: ** ...Could it?

**Kyou: ** H-Huh? What do you mean, Daiki?

** _Daiki:_ ** _ I’ll navigate your reasoning! _

**Daiki: ** Shido’s argument has no doubt in it. Kohaku must have been poisoned at dinner. Otherwise, a very specific thing would have been there earlier instead of when it appeared. If he can't remember it at the moment, I can just remind him!

** _LOGIC REFRESH_ **

**Bullets: 4**

**Daiki:** If Kohaku  **[Blood Trail] ** ran up to the debate hall...

**Daiki:** And she was poisoned at the time...

**Daiki: [Blood From Mouth]** Something would be left from her running up.

**Daiki:** And if we rely on Yukio’s account  **[Black Spears]** from when he went up...

**Daiki:** He would have  **[Fuyuhiko Weil’s File]** for sure seen it!

**>>Blood Trail**

**Blood From Mouth**

**Black Spears**

**Fuyuhiko Weil’s File**

** _Shido: _ ** _ I can conclude to that! _

_ Complete!! _

**Shido: ** Yukio, Kohaku’s time of death relies on you. Did you see the blood trail before or after you entered the observatory?

**Yukio: ** After. My account hasn’t changed.

**Shido: ** If Kohaku was poisoned by breakfast or lunch, that blood trail would have been there before. When she was poisoned, she vomited from the mouth, remember? When she ran to the debate hall, blood was probably dripping from her mouth.

**Hiroko: ** And since it was not there before, she had to have gone up there almost immediately after Yukio did, right?

**Akihiko: ** So the only time she would be poisoned for the blood trail to be there at that time was dinner.

**Shido: ** So Kohaku had to have died immediately after 10:00, because she ran into the debate hall during that time!

**Daiki: ** And the only time for her to be poisoned to have died at 10:00 was at dinner.

**Yuuki:** So the killer poisoned Kohaku’s dinner. That declares our culprit: the traitor amongst us! They could have reached her dinner, but Junko Enoshima could possibly not!

**Kyou: ** B-But what if it isn’t the traitor?!

**Yuuki: ** I know it is. For a fact. And this solidifies it all. Shido, point out the culprit. Tell everybody who the traitor is.

**Shido: ** I will. And we both know definitely who it is! The only person that could have killed Kohaku is...!

_ Shido Norihisa _

_ Takehiko Juzaburo _

_ Tamotsu Sugita _

_ Yuuki Shunsho _

_ Hiroko Nariakira _

_ Asuka Akira _

_ Haruki Ryobe _

_ Akio Bussho _

_ The Yakuza _

_ The Mechanic _

_ The Princess _

_ Hope _

_ The Athlete _

_ Akihiko Kenjiro _

_ Yukio Izo _

_ Yuji Izo _

_ Daiki Sorai _

_ Kohaku Hikozaemon _

** _>>Kyou Shun_ **

_ Keiko Kanon _

_ Yoshie Kazushi _

** _Shido: _ ** _ It has to be you! _


	76. Chapter 5: 5th Class Trial-3

**Shido: ** The only person who could have possibly poisoned Kohaku is you, Kyou!

**Kyou: ** Wh-What?!

**Daiki: ** Kyou?! It’s Kyou?!

**Yuuki: ** He is the only one who could have done it. And frankly, he’s been acting odd this whole trial. Clinging onto the poison being the murder weapon, stating that the traitor and the killer are not possibly the same people...

**Kyou: ** Wait, just wait! You have no proof! None at all!

**Yuuki: ** Oh, we do. Shido?

** _Shido: _ ** _ There’s a lot of stuff against Kyou...I guess I can start with how Kohaku was poisoned. _

** _Hangman’s Gambit 4D_ **

**S _ _ T _ _ G B _ _ E _**

** _How could the killer poison Kohaku during dinner?_ **

**SITTING BY HER**

** _Shido: _ ** _ I can understand this now! _

**Shido: ** Kyou, you have been your own downfall. We wouldn’t suspect you in the first place if you didn’t tell me this.

**Kyou: ** T-Tell you...what?

**Shido: ** The seating arrangements during dinner, of course. You recited them perfectly.

** _Kyou: _ ** _ Kohaku was sitting across from me and Daiki at one end of the first table. Yukio and Yuuki sat on one end of the second table, and Hiroko was at the other end. And you were all alone at the third table! _

**Shido: ** You and Daiki were the only people sitting close to Kohaku. The only way her food could have been poisoned was if the killer was sitting close to her to put the poison in.

**Yuuki: ** That is why I wanted to know the seating arrangements. Because I knew whoever sat next to Kohaku had the largest chance of being the killer.

**Kyou: ** But by that logic...Daiki could have the most equal chance of being the traitor!

**Daiki:** Y...You’re throwing me...under the bus?

**Kyou: ** Because it isn’t me! It’s more likely you!

**Daiki:** ...K...Kyou...

**Hiroko: ** Blaming your close loved ones for you own crimes...despicable!

**Daiki: ** Wh-Why...I thought we were...

**Yuuki: ** He was likely using you as a scapegoat should this ever come to be.

**Kyou: ** ...W-Wait! I didn’t mean to-

**Daiki: ** Don’t talk to me.

**Kyou: ** ...I...

**Yuuki: ** If you still deny it, we have more evidence. Shido, do you know what I mean?

** _Shido: _ ** _ More evidence...that would be... _

**Monokuma File #5**

**Black Spears**

**Blood From Mouth**

**Bottle C**

**Fuyuhiko Weil’s File**

**Beginning Letter**

**Homicide Report**

**Debate Hall’s Camera**

**Blood Trail**

**Alphabetical Antidote Bottles**

**Liquid Traces**

**Dinner Seating Arrangements**

**>>Everyone’s Alibis**

** _Shido: _ ** _ Could it be this? _

**Shido:** According to all of the alibis that were collected, only three people were alone during the nighttime announcement. Me, Yuuki, and Kyou. Yuuki has theorized that only one of us three could have done it.

**Kyou: ** Then why are we ignoring that Yuuki’s been acting oddly, too?!

**Shido: ** Huh?

**Kyou: ** He’s been pushing various topics. Ignoring the contents of the file from Fuyuhiko. The very file that Kohaku died for!

**Yuuki: ** Because there isn’t anything-

**Kyou: ** He’s been rushing along the trial, too!

**Yuuki: ** If anything, it’s been Monokuma.

**Monokuma: ** Hey! Mind your manners!

**Kyou: ** My point is, why aren’t you suspecting any of those three?! Daiki, Yuuki, and Shido?!

**Yukio: ** Because if Kohaku died after I entered the observatory, Shido wouldn’t have been with me if he did it.

**Hiroko:** I was with Daiki all of the time on the third floor until the body discovery announcement.

**Yuuki: ** So in actuality, only Kyou or I could have killed Kohaku. However, Kyou is the only one who could have administered the poison.

**Kyou: ** But Daiki still had the chance to-!

**Daiki: ** Stop doing that! Stop blaming me when it was your idea to sit with Kohaku!

**Kyou: ** ...Wh...What? It wasn’t...

**Yuuki: ** Well? Do you accept being outed as the traitor for Junko Enoshima?

**Kyou: ** ...I...

**Akihiko: ** Give up. It’s over. We know it is you.

**Kyou: ** ...I...I guess I cannot argue. I am the traitor...the one that has worked against you all this time.

**Hiroko: ** So you are Enoshima’s puppet!

**Kyou: ** I guess, if that’s their name. I’ve never known or even met the mastermind in person. All I know is that...I’ve done a crime. A despicable crime...that if unveiled, could destroy my entire being. So that is why I stayed amongst you, giving information to Monokuma, who would then pass it on to the mastermind...

**Hiroko: ** But what was this crime?

**Kyou: ** ...I don’t know. I don’t remember.

** _Shido: _ ** _ A crime...I think I remember something like that. Some evidence that was heavily censored... _

**Monokuma File #5**

**Black Spears**

**Blood From Mouth**

**Bottle C**

**Fuyuhiko Weil’s File**

**Beginning Letter**

**>>Homicide Report**

**Debate Hall’s Camera**

**Blood Trail**

**Alphabetical Antidote Bottles**

**Liquid Traces**

**Dinner Seating Arrangements**

**Everyone’s Alibis**

** _Shido: _ ** _ Could it be this? _

**Shido: ** Could you have possibly...murdered someone? I found a police report on a homicide, but it was heavily redacted. It does not even say the killer’s name.

**Kyou: ** ...I killed somebody...Did I really...

**Yuuki: ** It would make sense. Your internal drive to preserve that secret and portray yourself as innocent would leave you to be manipulatable by Junko Enoshima.

**Yukio: ** So you betrayed us all...just for your own self-preservation?

**Akihiko: ** The murderer is brought to light...and quite an irredeemable one, in fact.

**Kyou: ** Wait. Just because I am the traitor...I did not kill Kohaku. I swear on it.

**Yuuki: ** When will you give in? It’s over.

**Daiki: ** You have no alibi. You were in the exact position to poison her. It couldn’t have been anybody else.

**Kyou: ** And yet...I cannot accept this! I cannot accept that...I will fight you to the end, Shido! I will prove my innocence!

** _Shido: _ ** _ His words have such confidence to them...as if he truly believes it wasn’t him. Would a murderer disillusion themselves that much? _

** _Reasoning Retaliation Start!_ **

** _Phase 1:_ **

** _Hear me out, everybody!_ **

** _I am the traitor!_ **

** _I did betray all of you!_ **

** _But I did not kill Kohaku!_ **

** _I would have never harmed anyone!_ **

** _Phase 2:_ **

** _Please just listen to me!_ **

** _It had to have been Junko!_ **

** _I wouldn’t have hurt Kohaku!_ **

** _She was my friend!_ **

** _And you all are my friends, as well!_ **

** _Phase 3:_ **

** _Just stop all of this, please!_ **

** _I feel sick to the stomach!_ **

** _I wouldn’t dream of physical harm!_ **

** _I can’t ever believe I murdered someone!_ **

** _All of you have got to believe me!_ **

** _Why would I even hurt her in the first place?! There’s been no motive!_ **

**MAKE SURE**

**KOHAKU**

**WOULD NOT**

**TELL TRUTH**

** _PLEAAAAAAASE!_ **

_ Break!! _

**Shido: ** If anything, only the mastermind or you had a motive at all to kill Kohaku! She knew all of the secrets of Monolith Valley!

**Yuuki: ** That is the undeniable reason for why she was killed. It was to silence her from telling any of us the truth of this place.

**Kyou: ** Please...I didn’t...

**Daiki: ** Give it up!

**Kyou: ** H-Huh?

**Daiki: ** Just give up already! It’s over! Don’t drag this out any longer than it has to! I don’t want to look at you anymore! I just want you gone!

**Kyou: ** ...D...Dai...ki...

**Hiroko: ** You see that? That is your fault. You manipulated not just all of us, but Daiki in particular. You used him as a potential scapegoat.

**Kyou: ** No! No, that can’t be farther from the truth! I would never-!

**Yukio: ** No more tryin’ to justify yourself, alright? It was you. You killed Kohaku.

**Kyou: ** I...I...

**Yuuki: ** Shido. Shall we close this story, once and for all?

**Shido: ** Yes...for everyone Kyou’s betrayed...for Kohaku! Let’s end this!

** _Shido:_ ** _ And the story goes like this. _

**“Last night, when everybody was having dinner, Kohaku was sitting with two other people: Daiki and the culprit of our case. By now, she knows every secret about Monolith Valley. Not only that, she remembers it from the character reset. Our culprit, the traitor for the mastermind Junko Enoshima, realizes she must be killed. So, they poisons her food, thus poisoning Kohaku.**

**“Somehow, she realized this, and went to the infirmary. She took two antidote bottles from the medicine cabinet: Bottles B and C. She poured out the antidote in Bottle C, and replaced it with half of the contents of Bottle B. This was to trick the culprit into thinking she had less time than she had if she took Bottle C.**

**“Kohaku knew that regardless of her actions, she will be dead by the end of the day. So, she began to run up to the fourth floor to retrieve valuable information. Along the way, she began to vomit up blood, making it drip out of her mouth. At the same time, Yukio was entering the observatory on the fourth floor. We would have never found out what time she died if she hadn’t ran into the debate hall on the same floor immediately after, leaving a trail of blood from her mouth.**

**“At this point, Kohaku has taken the antidote to stave off her death. In the debate hall, she goes and retrieves the file that belonged to Fuyuhiko Weil, or the Yakuza. In it was every answer to all of the mysteries in Monolith Valley Summer School. She was planning to take its information and give it to somebody else so the answers would not die with her. But the culprit moved too fast, and trapped her in the debate hall. Then, she was killed by being ran through with multiple black spears. Their origin is unknown, but it doesn’t matter.**

**“With Kohaku dead, the culprit took the file. They removed the most important parts, and left only the two most insignificant papers in it. They most likely destroyed the papers to keep the secrets of Monolith Valley under wraps. Then, as they fled the scene, a few moments later, Yukio and I came upon the body.**

**“Not much evidence was left behind, but we were still able to identify our killer and the traitor that worked for Junko Enoshima...Kyou Shun, the Ultimate Organizer! It can only be you!”**

**COMPLETE!!**

**Shido: ** Kyou Shun...What do you have to say for yourself?

**Kyou: ** Wait...I know...it makes sense...but...

**Daiki: ** Stop. Just...stop.

**Kyou: ** ......

**Monokuma: ** Well, then! Are we absolutely and totally done?

**Akihiko: ** We are. Let’s get on with it.

**Kyou: ** W-Wait...No, wait! WAIT!

**Monokuma: ** Everyone, make your pitch on who you think the blackened is! And no pulling back your votes, because that’s a punishable offense! So, who will it be, gentlemen and lady of the jury? What’s it gonna be? What’s it gonna beeeee?!

_ The buttons light up as everyone pressed on them. The screen shows a unanimous vote for Kyou. All of a sudden, everything flashes red with an error noise, and the word “INCORRECT” flashes overhead. They voted wrongly. It’s over for all of them. _


	77. Chapter 5: 5th Class Trial-4

...

......

......What?

They...were wrong?

“Wh...What?” Yukio’s voice came in a quiet whisper first. The color has drained from his face.

Daiki looked shocked. “Wait...but wasn’t...”

“But it...made sense,” Hiroko gasped audibly enough for the rest of them to hear.

Monokuma sighed. “Oh, how unfortunate! You all guessed incorrectly! Kyou Shun, the Ultimate Organizer...was not the blackened at all!”

“No...No, quit lyin’!” Yukio nearly sobbed. “This has gotta be a joke, r-right?!”

“No way we...guessed wrong!” Akihiko was shaking.

Kyou himself was horrified. “I...I tried to tell you all!”

“...I was...incorrect.” Yuuki’s voice was hollow, but his face showed horror. “I was...unable to identify who killed her.”

“But...who did?!” Hiroko screamed. “If it wasn’t Kyou, then who killed Kohaku?!”

“I’m afraid you got your details a bit muddied up,” Monokuma softly chided. “Kyou definitely did the poisoning, but he never went up to the debate hall at all. Nope! It was totally someone else!”

“J-Junko?!” Yukio exclaimed. “Junko Enoshima?!”

Monokuma laughed, ignoring him. “Puhuhuhuhu...I gotta say, you guys got quite close to the correct answer, too!”

“But...that isn’t fair.” Yuuki’s expression didn’t change, as if he were a statue. “We couldn’t possibly vote for the mastermind...they aren’t among us...”

Shido stood there, staring at the board. It was still flashing as “INCORRECT”, the horrid noise having blared from it long gone. His mind was still reeling, trying to register what just happened.

Then, he was falling. Suffocating in a deep darkness, his chest being compressed into a tight fold. His heart raced and threatened to break out of his ribcage. His legs threatened to pass out underneath him.

A splitting scream came from next to him. Daiki fell to the floor, holding his head and screaming in an outburst of agony. Tears fell to the floor. Kyou stepped back, knowing he would only make it worse. And still, he gave tears of his own, watching the Ultimate Ship Captain threaten to wail his voice out.

“Now then...I’ve prepared a very special punishment for...Daiki Sorai, the Ultimate Ship Captain...”

“NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!”

“Kyou Shun, the Ultimate Organizer...”

“Please...Please, I obeyed you!”

“Akihiko Kenjiro, the Ultimate Knight...”

“This can’t be...how it ends...”

“Hiroko Nariakira, the Ultimate Mage...”

“N-No, stop! Please!”

“Yukio Izo, the Ultimate Gunner...”

“Yuji...I’m so sorry...”

“Yuuki Shunsho, the Ultimate Clone...”

Yuuki only stared ahead with horrified shock, as if he’s committed the worst crime known to man.

“And Shido Norihisa, the Ultimate Dancer!”

Shido stood there, staring up at Monokuma. He invited it. He accepted death. But nobody else here did. And that’s what made him want to fight against this fate.

“No...” Shido began to sob. “Don’t take them all...don’t let them pay for my mistake...”

“Let’s give it everything we’ve got! Iiiiiiit’s punishment tiiiiime!”

** _“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!”_ **

**SHIDO, YUUKI, YUKIO, AKIHIKO, DAIKI, KYOU, AND HIROKO HAVE GUESSED INCORRECTLY.**

**TIME FOR THE PUNISHMENT!**

_ From Monokuma’s throne, a compartment opened up. Shido remembered what was going to happen next from the Yakuza’s trial. He turned to run as multiple chains with neck clamps shot out, and fastened around everybody’s necks. They all were yanked into the darkness, screaming. _

_ For a long moment, Shido could see nothing but darkness, the wind whistling around him as he was pulled back a long way. Then, his heels hit the ground, and the pressure released around his necks. He skidded to a stop, using his hands to brake himself. _

_ The floor lit up in purple squares. The room suddenly brightened in a purple flash. When Shido stopped shielding his eyes, he could see that it was laid out like a club, with a rather large dance floor. _

** _MASS EXECUTION_ **

** _THE GRAND FINALE’S WALTZ_ **

_ To his horror, mechanical arms came out. They clamped around his wrists and ankles, rendering him immobile. As he struggled, he felt them begin to pull him around, forcing him to dance, though slowly at first. _

_ Then it began to pick up. He was violently spun around, making his head swing around uncomfortably. The clamps dug in more and more, and he could feel his skin begin to split underneath his sleeves and boots. _

_ It hurt. It hurt so bad. His arms and legs felt as if they were about to be torn out of their sockets. The “dancing” began to be just swinging him around the dance floor like a doll, more and more blood pouring from his wrists and ankles. _

_ Akihiko Kenjiro was in a field, his legs strapped to the opposite sides of a metal horse on a track. One arm had a jousting lance strapped into it. And the horse was rocketing forward towards a wall of long, jousting lance-colored spikes. All he could do was grip onto the horse and lean forward in determination, ready to accept death and not give Monokuma the satisfaction of begging. _

_ Daiki Sorai was tied to the wheel of a ship. The alarms blared red as water came fast into the room. It was already up to his knees, and rising fast. His breathing came fast, and his eyes darted back and forth between the water and his wrists tied to the wheels. Struggling and swinging the wheel back and forth did nothing. The water was above his knees now. _

_ Yuuki Shunsho was in an upright capsule, much like a clone capsule from a science movie. He could only bang on the glass and scream in horrified fear. Purple liquid was sloshing in, coming at a downpour from above. Much like Daiki, if he couldn’t escape, he was sentenced to the long and agonizing fate of drowning in this mockery of his artificial birth. _

_ Yukio Izo was in a shooting range, tied around a wooden pole. He stared at the machine gun pointed at him filled with bullets. He was screaming wordlessly even before the bullets began, in fear for his very life. He thrashed against the coarse ropes holding him against the podium as the mounted gun began to click and start up. _

_ Kyou Shun had his ankles shackled to a desk, forced to sit in a school chair. He was hurriedly filling out a formal paper, sweat rolling down his face. The paper machine right next to him was spitting out more and more papers every second, and the pile at his feet began to get larger by the second. Cuts were appearing on his body from the papers being fired out at a higher rate than he could fill out. _

_ Hiroko Nariakira was sitting in a rune circle. Around her were candles as she seemed to meditate. However, her wrists and ankles were tied together, and she was shaking. The runes began to glow red hot, and she could feel the heat rolling off of her body. Steam began to rise. The candles began to tip forward into the circle, the flames rising higher. One fell onto her clothing. _

_ Shido felt as if he were to vomit from either blood loss or the spinning. It hurt. It hurt so bad. Just die. Just die and end it. Let it stop. _

_ Akihiko slammed into the wall, and forced his entire mind to not scream. Multiple spikes drove deep into his body and came out the other end. All he could do was sit there and bleed out. _

_ Daiki lost his breath, too far under the water. The bubbles that held all that he needed drifted up to the ceiling of the ship. His eyes rolled into the back of his head, mouth agape. His hands fell slack as his body drifted upwards, only anchored down by his wrists tied to the wheel. _

_ Yuuki fell to his knees in utter despair. He failed everyone. He failed Kohaku. He failed Shido. He failed everyone he had to protect. And now, they were as dead as him, drifting towards the end but not quite there yet. _

_ Yukio’s body still continued to get punctured by bullets. He’s stopped trying to squirm. Blood was falling down his body in copious amounts. His vision was going hazy fast. And yet, he could see Yuji right there, smiling and chiding him for being so lazy and idiotic. So Yukio smiled in return. _

_ Kyou was bleeding from so many cuts. The papers were drowning him, filling up the room and suffocating him. He tried to push them away, but more replaced them, slicing his skin open and splattering his blood on the sheets. This was his long overdue punishment. But he still didn’t want it. _

_ Hiroko was on fire. She screamed, feeling herself begin to cook alive. She wanted to put herself out but couldn’t. She couldn’t reach the flames on her back. All she could do was sob and hope it would be over soon. _

_ Shido could feel the clamps tear his limbs off. He felt his limbless body hit the floor, hazy eyes left to stare up at the ceiling. He felt the blood pool around him and soak into his clothes and hair. He could see the clamps grow still, holding his arms and legs in the open air. _

_ But it’s stopped. _

_ It stopped. _

** _It stopped._ **

** _Stopped._ **

** _Overriding manual interface..._ **

** _Main user added._ **

** _User: Fuyuhiko Weil_ **

** _Hard resetting characters..._ **

** _All .chr files hard reset._ **

** _Adding “Soulcraft Experimentation”..._ **

** _Selected data on “Soulcraft Experimentation” added._ **

** _Adding “Wu Ming”..._ **

** _All data on “Wu Ming” added._ **

** _Adding “Tangled Shore Murders”..._ **

** _All data on “Tangled Shore Murders” added._ **

** _Adding “Alliance”..._ **

** _All data on “Alliance” added._ **

** _Neural Memory Mapping Animation...ONLINE._ **

** _Counselor Status: 1/6 remain active._ **

** _Student Status: 7/16 remain active._ **

** _Waiting for input…_ **

** _Seraphina: Online._ **

** _Sigma: Online._ **

** _Wu Ming: Online._ **

** _Fuyuhiko Weil: Online._ **

“Did you all think I would really kneel over and die?”

“...Fuyuhiko...you...”

“Wu Ming...thanks a lot. Your data saved my ass.”

“But it...It’s obviously physically affected ya.”

“Small price to fucking pay, in my opinion. How’s Nagito?”

“Safe. Back in Weil’s hands. And so are your siblings. However...”

“Save it fer later, Seraphina. And it’s good ta have ya back, kid. All three of ya, get ready. We’re findin’ that fuckin’ mastermind.”

**Chapter 5: Your Reflection Reveals Brutal Regrets**

**REMAINING STUDENTS:**

**SYSTEM ERROR:**

**INFO UNGIVEN.**

**RECALIBRATING...**

**7(?) STUDENTS REMAINING**

** _ITEM GET: Bloodied Note!_ **

** _A decoded note that confirms the completion of Chapter 5. Found in the science lab with the translation on the bottom: “IM ALIVE”._ **


	78. Chapter 0: A Snake’s Venom Can Be a Cure

“Remember, Wu Ming,” Seraphina warned. “Do not make a scene here. You are scary enough as it is.”

Wu Ming scoffed, flashing her a cocky grin. “Says the lil’ lady who has a warlord buried in her arm.”

Seraphina’s arm glowed blue.  _ “Let me punch him, please,”  _ Sigma begged.

She tucked in her arm. “Stop talking, or you’ll attract more attention that we need, Sigma.”

Wu Ming looked around as Seraphina walked to the door. This was a normal house in the suburbs of one of the cities in the world of the Cocoon and Abel City. He didn’t care to learn its name. Did some technological genius that could help them save the sixteen missing people really live here?

He looked over a bit as the doorbell was rung. Seraphina quickly dusted herself off and adjusted her cape. Wu Ming noticed with amusement that she’s probably realized that she looks rather threatening in those clothes of hers.

After a moment, there were footsteps, and the door opened. A small, brown-haired boy stood there. At least, it seemed to be a boy. He was wearing a large skirt. Perhaps he was transgender?

“Oh. Um...may I help you?”

Seraphina waved. “Hi, there. I called in the other day. A Seraphina?”

The boy paused, and Wu Ming looked shocked as his form actually shivered. He realized then that he was actually a tiny bit see through. After a moment, he came back to reality. “Oh, yes! Two days ago! A Seraphina No-Last-Name!”

Wu Ming gave a hoot of laughter. “They really put yer last name as No-Last-Name?”

The boy looked confused. “And who is that?”

“Wu Ming,” Seraphina answered. “I hope your father doesn’t mind that I brought along an aid.”

Wu Ming stopped his laughter. “Aid?!” He looked offended at the smiling woman.

The boy smiled. “Oh, he wouldn’t mind at all!” He looked inside. “Father! Miss Seraphina came along!” He gestured Seraphina and Wu Ming forward. “Come on in, both of you! I would take your coats, but I’m afraid I have no physical form!”

Seraphina shrugged off her cape, putting in a nearby coat rack. “Oh, that’s quite alright, Miss...?”

“Alter Ego. Oh, and it’s mister, if you don’t mind.”

Seraphina nodded. “Yes, sorry. But Alter Ego?”

“Oh, Father does like to call me just Alt for short, or sometimes Aki. They do sound quite similar, right?”

Wu Ming crouched a bit to observe Alt. “You have no physical form, huh?”

As he stuck a hand through a bit, Alt nodded. “Yup! I’m a Cyber Elf, so this is just my holographic form!”

Wu Ming paused, wiggling his fingers in the hologram a bit. “Cyber Elf? Holographic form?”

“Wu Ming!” Seraphina called from down the hall. “Come on!”

He stood up, letting his hand drop back to his side. Alter Ego’s hologram suddenly dissolved, only to reappear next to Seraphina. He began to walk alongside her, forcing Wu Ming to scurry a bit to catch up.

In the main room, he could count about six people in the room. Five of them had a shimmering effect to their bodies, declaring them as Cyber Elves. They were standing or sitting, chatting to each other and laughing.

The only non-Cyber Elf in the room looked to be an old man coming close to the end of his life. He sat in a chair, hair frizzy and white. He held a cane across his lap as he wore mostly red and black.

Alt ran up to him. “Father! Miss Seraphina is here!”

The man lifted his head, smiling while peering at Seraphina. “Oh, Seraphina. It has been a while. Come, come, you can sit down.” She did so. “Would you like some tea?”

“Oh, no thanks.” Seraphina waved a hand. “I presume you got my message?”

“Oh, I did.” The old man looked at Wu Ming awkwardly standing there. “And who’s that gentleman over there?”

“That is Wu Ming, my aid,” Seraphina explained. “I hope you will forgive me for bringing him here without informing you, Dr. Weil.”

“Oh, it is fine, dear.” Dr. Weil smiled. “Hello, Wu Ming. I’m Dr. Isaac Weil. I am the creator of the Cyber Elves.” He stuck out a trembling hand to shake.

Wu Ming politely shook it back. “Nice ta meet ya.” He gave a grin that made one of the Cyber Elves there raise an eyebrow in suspicion.

“I don’t like him,” he remarked. He was one of the shorter ones, with a low cut hair and a black suit.

“Fuyuhiko, he is a guest!” another chided him. This one was a girl in a regal outfit. “And he’s done nothing wrong! Treat him with kindness!”

“Trust me, he’s very good with kids,” Seraphina remarked with amusement.

“Oh? Are you a father, Mister Ming?” Alt asked innocently.

Wu Ming chuckled a bit. “Nah. Settlin’ down is th’ last thing on my mind at th’ moment.”

“Oh, please do not bother our guest, my children,” Dr. Weil chided them. “Don’t make him uncomfortable with your questions.”

A chorus of “Yes, Father!” came from around the room, all of them bowing politely towards their father.

Seraphina looked around. “Hm...It seems that you’re missing one.”

“Ah, yes. Nagito, the youngest. Where did he run off to?” Dr. Weil looked around, frowning.

One of the Cyber Elves went to the stairs of the second floor. “Yo, Nagito!” He called. “Father wants you down here!”

Another one frowned. “Kazuichi, he didn’t ask for Nagito in question.”

“Huh? It kinda sounded like it.” Kazuichi blinked, dumbfounded.

Everyone stood up when a figure tumbled down the stairs while giving a scream of alarm. Kazuichi was smashed over by a white-haired boy, and both crashed to the floor.

“Whoa!” The tannest woman there ran over. “Are you two alright?!”

“Ah ha ha...” The boy sat up, pressing his hand into Kazuichi’s shoulder to stabilize himself. “I tripped on my own feet! I really am unlucky.”

“Speak for yourself...” Kazuichi whined. “You used me as cushioning!”

The one with long black hair brushed it out of his face. “Are you alright?” he asked with a lack of concern.

“Yes...” Kazuichi began to flail, however. “Get offa me, Nagito!”

Nagito quickly got up. “Right, of course! Sorry, Kazuichi!”

Dr. Weil chuckled. “Wu Ming, right? Have you met my children?”

Wu Ming scratched his beard. “Don’t s’pose I have, doctor.”

“Well, the girls are Sonia and Akane. The boy on the floor is Kazuichi. The one who’s a bit standoffish is Fuyuhiko. Izuru is the one with the long black hair, and Nagito is the one who just descended the stairs. And I’m sure you’ve met Aki by now.”

Sonia delicately curtseyed. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Ming!”

“Well, th’ family name is Wu,” Wu Ming commented. “Th’ name’s Chinese. So really, it’s Mr. Wu.”

Sonia gasped a bit. “Oh, I’m terribly sorry! Did I disgrace your culture in any way?”

Wu Ming only gave a laugh. “Hey, calm down, kid! It’s an honest mistake!”

Seraphina loudly cleared her throat. “Dr. Weil, may you please excuse your children? Wu Ming and I need to talk to you on a matter of importance.”

Dr. Weil’s smile faded a bit, and he nodded seriously. “Of course. May you all please return to what you were doing? I believe this is an adult talk.”

“Yes, Father!” The young ones replied before their holographic forms dissolved, and the data vanished. They seemed to vacate the room altogether.

Wu Ming sat himself down, leaning one arm against his knee. “So you created ‘em, right?” He asked Dr. Weil.

“Mostly,” he admitted. “It was a collaboration project between Seraphina and I. She gave me the base data, and I constructed them out of it. I’m currently planning other projects connected to those Cyber Elves. My goal is to make full use of the digital realm that exists beneath our fingertips daily.”

Seraphina nodded. “Yes, yes. You mean the Mother Elf project. How is that going?”

“Rather terrible,” Dr. Weil replied with a frown. “Its coding has been a lot more complicated than I initially thought it would. But I guess that it would be, seeing as it is to be the core of all future Cyber Elves made. Now, how may I help you two?”

Seraphina leaned forward a bit. “Dr. Weil, I wish to...borrow the Cyber Elves for a bit.” When he frowned, she quickly readjusted herself. “Oh, I won’t steal them if you do not desire me to take them!”

“May I please have an explanation as to...why you need them?” Dr. Weil asked cautiously.

“Well, as you remember, I found an old machine from the pre-Collapse times on Earth Traveler. I harvested the base data of your Cyber Elves from it, and I took the machine for myself. From it, I created the NMMA: Neural Memory Mapping Animation. It’s supposed to simulate an entirely real physical world within the system. But it’s...still in the prototype phase.”

Wu Ming knew it was a lie. Fox was to use the project any day now. Whatever fib she was about to make up, it was most likely an excuse to cover up the real reason she wants the Cyber Elves.

Dr. Weil was nodding along, believing her. “Yes, do go on.”

“I...wanted to see if the Cyber Elves could help me test it. I don’t want to risk organic subject lives, even if it is voluntary, if I don’t have to. Your Cyber Elves have the highest chance of thriving in the prototype mainframe. I know it is...”

Dr. Weil warmly smiled. “Of course you may, Seraphina.”

Seraphina paused. “Huh?”

“I do owe you a debt for helping me create my children and kickstart my research. And I know that I cannot trust their lives with anyone else if you were a candidate. We are fellow researchers. We should look out for each other.”

Seraphina looked to be in the midst of either relieved or flattered. “Dr. Weil...it is me who owes you.”

“Oh, that’s quite nonsense!” Dr. Weil gave a friendly smile. “But allow me to keep at least one with me, shall you? I do need an aid.”

“Right. Your failing health...” Seraphina nodded. “Yes, of course. Alter Ego would seem a fine candidate to stay, doesn’t he? He is already doing most of the work to keep you from wasting your breath. However, I have to warn you, this...will take a while. I expect this testing run to take...I want to say a month or so at most.”

Dr. Weil nodded. “As long as you take good care of my children, it is fine by me, Seraphina.”

Seraphina smiled in return. “Of course, Dr. Weil.”

“Give me a few minutes.” Dr. Weil got up, bracing himself on the armrests. “I need to go gather the children, and tell them the news.” Picking up his cane, he proceeded to hobble out the door, closing it behind him.

Once it clicked, Wu Ming made sure there were no indoor cameras before he turned to look at Seraphina. “You lied to him.”

“I know,” she simply replied. “I won’t argue against that.”

“Why?”

“You want me to tell him upright I am going to use his children as monitors in a simulation that can possibly kill them?”

“...Good point.” Wu Ming shook his head. “Doesn’t make it okay that you ain’t tellin’. I mean, what are you goin’ ta do if they do die?”

“...I...” Seraphina frowned at that. “Well...I was planning on hooking them up to a sort of emergency respawn. So if they do die, they will return to their state before they entered the NMMA, with no memory of what happened within it.”

“So th’ whole point of them is ta act as a group of decoys fer our spy ta hide in.” Wu Ming began to fidget with a jade coin that had suddenly appeared. Seraphina had no idea where he pulled it out from.

“That...would be basically it,” she admitted. “One monitor would make Fox suspicious. Multiple would make him think it was just a precaution in case any of the subjects tried to escape.”

“So?” Wu Ming flicked the coin up in the air. “Who’s it gonna be?”

When it landed back in Wu Ming’s hand, he noticed a glow cast over his shoulder. Both he and Seraphina looked to see Fuyuhiko standing there. He was glaring at them, his hands hooked on his belt.

“...How much did ya hear?” Wu Ming asked.

“Enough,” Fuyuhiko answered. “Tell me the truth. Where are you taking me and my siblings?”

“...The Umbra Mondo’s new ruler has gone too far,” Seraphina explained. “Over the past month, there’s been multiple disappearances. He’s kidnapped all of them, and forced them into a simulation. A brutal killing game that I was ordered to create. The simulation is set to begin in a week, but I want to save as many of those people as possible. That’s why I want you and your siblings.”

“As moles?” Fuyuhiko snarled.

“For an organization,” Seraphina continued. “One that’s...employed both me and Wu Ming to end the NMMA’s predicted end: all of the inhabitants dead, and its mastermind rising victorious as the sole survivor. It would be a mass cover-up, and the slaughter of a lot of important individuals.”

Wu Ming leaned on his knuckles. “Insurrection’s Abyss. Some rebel wannabes. But regardless, they like ta get in th’ way of Fox. I don’t care fer that. I just care ‘bout the NMMA.”

Seraphina frowned. “Why are you concerned with it so much? It seems to be very interesting to you, Wu Ming.”

“It ain’t yer business ta question my motives, is it?” Wu Ming grinned at her to answer.

Before either Fuyuhiko or Seraphina said something else, the door opened. A flurry of a commotion came up as the rest of the Cyber Elves entered, talking to each other. Alt was hugging all of them goodbye, Nagito was cheering about going on the trip, Izuru was keeping to himself, and the other three were happily chatting about the new experience to each other. Weil hobbled in last, smiling at their glee.

They only stayed in the house a few minutes more. Weil passed Seraphina a handful of data drives, each with one of the Cyber Elf names on it. The holograms fizzled out, retreating into their data as she gently placed them into her outfit.

Wu Ming noted that the two of them seemed to be good friends. Dr. Weil was very amicable towards her, and the normally standoffish woman smiled a bit more than usual. It was kind of adorable to see her smile so much. It made him grin about how much teasing he could do later.

Dr. Weil stood at the doorstep as they walked out. Alt was next to him, swinging both of his arms in the air to wave them goodbye. The doctor smiled as they went down the steps to the sidewalk before the electronic door finally closed.

Seraphina looked at the data drives. “The very first Cyber Elves in this timeline are right here,” she breathed in awe. “It’s incredible.”

Wu Ming poked one, looking at the name “Kazuichi”. “Is this only an event in Timeline Prime?”

“Well, I took part in it, and I exist outside of the timelines in the Umbra Mondo. What do you think?”

Wu Ming huffed. “That’s a yes.” He then frowned as they walked down the sidewalk. “But, uh...you didn’t answer my question.”

“What, about who will be the mole?” Seraphina asked. “Well, I was going to say I don’t know at the moment, but Fuyuhiko interrupted me.”

“Y’know, there’s somethin’ about that kid,” Wu Ming noted. “I don’t know what, but it makes me think there’s somethin’...more.”

Seraphina raised an eyebrow. “Go on.”

“...He’s got that charm, y’know? And the aura of ‘you can’t touch me’. Kind of brazen.”

“Yes, I can attest that to the data he was made from. When I found the machine that was used to make the NMMA, his data was labelled under the file “Fuyuhiko Kuzuryuu, Ultimate Yakuza”. A Yakuza is basically the japanese mafia.”

“So th’ badass aura comes from the position his programmin’ gave ‘im?” Wu Ming guessed.

Seraphina shrugged. “I guess. What are you saying about him?”

“Well, maybe he can be the mole,” Wu Ming suggested with a shrug. “Just a thought.”

Both of them stumbled a bit, but didn’t stop walking when a third figure joined the group, Fuyuhiko’s data forming into a hologram that walked alongside them. “A thought, huh?”

“You want to talk?” Seraphina questioned.

“Just wanted to let you know. If being the mole could possibly kill whoever it is, then make it me. I don’t want any of my siblings getting hurt.”

Wu Ming laughed a bit. “Self-sacrifice, huh? Ya got spunk, kid. I like that.”

Seraphina tilted her head. “Are you sure? To be the mole, you’ll need...protective data uploaded into you to defend yourself from the NMMA’s manipulative programming. It could permanently ingrain in your coding.”

“Just gives me all the more reason to volunteer,” Fuyuhiko answered. “I won’t allow anything like that to happen to my family.”

Wu Ming could see a fire in his metaphorical soul. When he looked at him, he could see his eyes betrayed no emotion. Even his walk carried a sense of unbeaten pride. He radiated with that teenage stubbornness, but at the same time had the will of a full grown man. He was not going to budge in his choice.

“Then welcome to th’ team, Fuyuhiko,” Wu Ming said, and Seraphina looked confused for a moment at the odd, warm tone in his voice.

Fuyuhiko seemed a bit taken aback too, but quickly returned to an emotionless face. “Glad to be here, I guess. Though I kind of want the full story before this whole shitshow begins.”

Seraphina snorted. “I would like the full story myself. We can start with what we know for sure, then go on to theories and speculation. We do have a week to prepare, after all. See, it all started about a month ago, when Light Incarnate Rowan and the Luxonia Gabriel went to the ruins of the former’s old home.”


	79. Chapter 6-1: A Gambit Between Hopeful Punishment and Despairing Freedom

Nobody could ever miss the shadow that the school cast. It was placed directly in an urban area, overlooking such a prestigious community crafted outside of its walls. It would be an honor to even live near the academy.

  
The students of the school were just as lucky to attend it. This wasn’t any normal academy. It was one that hand-picked only the top of the line in various fields. These “Ultimates” would come to this legendary school, and graduate with guaranteed success in their life.

  
Of course, there were requirements to go to this school. For one, you had to currently be going to a high school during the time you are selected to attend the academy. And second, you must be an “Ultimate” at some sort of task. It doesn’t matter what talent. Really, anything will do.

  
Application was not a problem. The school sought out their students themselves. You could decline, but graduation would mean you would be set for life.

  
It was the year 2087 that...

Wait, that felt wrong. 2087? He could have sworn it was 620-

_Shido_ _Norihisa_ could have sworn it was 620-

**something’s wrong stop this let me out stop making me forget stop it stop it i’m not a criminal i’m not who they say i am**

**I have to wake up.**

Shido’s head hit the bus window hard when he jostled awake. Whimpering in pain, he immediately clutched his head, already irritated at the rude awakening. First a strange dream, now this?

No, not a dream. A feeling. A strange feeling that something was so amiss. But he couldn’t explain why. He couldn’t explain what.

Then he remembered quite clearly he was supposed to be dead.

Shido jumped out of his seat, nearly tripping as the bus moved. He could see everyone else suddenly standing, remembering the exact same thing at the exact same time.

“What the fuck?!” Yukio screamed in horror. “What the fuck, what was that shit?!”

“We...weren’t we...” Hiroko whimpered. “Didn’t we...die...?”

“My lungs collapsed,” Daiki sobbed. “I couldn’t breathe, I couldn’t move, I couldn’t swim, and I could feel myself die!”

Kyou looked around wildly. “What...What is going on?!” He screamed. “What is happening to all of us?! Why are we back at the beginning, on the bus?!”

Akihiko paused. “Th-The beginning...we’re not in Monolith Valley yet?”

There was a short pause as all seven of them looked at each other. Then, they turned and sprinted for the bus door, stumbling over their own feet in a mad dash.

Daiki slammed his shoulders into the bus door, but they didn’t budge an inch. All he did was begin to swear in pain, clutching the muscles.

“It’s sealed tight!” He yelled. “Like it’s just a decoration!”

Yukio tried to get his fingers in between the doors and pull them open with Akihiko’s help. They manage to get half an inch open before they slammed shut again. Both boys reeled their fingers back, the metal having smushed their fingers now throbbing red.

“It won’t...open!” Yukio gasped. “Why won’t it open?!”

Yuuki was showing raw panic on his face. “The windows! Try the windows!”

Shido climbed across one of the bus seats, looking out. The trees outside were thick, and it was impossible to see past them. They were getting close to Monolith Valley. Their window of time was closing shut.

He grabbed the locks and tried to pull open the window, grunting with the effort. They creaked against the strain, but did not move all the same.

“Th-They’re not moving either!” Shido gasped. “And we’re getting close to Monolith Valley! W-We might be in it already!”

Kyou began hurriedly pacing. “Is this...Is this another character reset that you talked about, Yuuki?”

“But...Losing memories of a few days is one thing,” Yuuki replied. “Going all the way back to the beginning, weeks ago...it’s impossible! Th-This can’t be real!”

The bus hissed to a stop, and everyone who was standing jostled around as the vehicle braked. After a tense moment, the bus doors creaked open.

Everybody looked at each other. All of them looked to want to stay in the bus and hope that it would just take them back home, or anywhere that didn’t involve this hell. But as they looked at the door, they knew that hiding was not an option. Eventually, they would have to leave.

“Who’s gonna go first?” Akihiko muttered. “Not me.”

“Kyou, because he betrayed us all!” Yukio whisper-yelled.

“H-Hey!” Kyou yelped.

In response, Daiki pushed Kyou towards the door. “Well?” He snapped. “Out you go, then!”

When Kyou stumbled out, everybody watched him. He stood on his feet, then looked both left and right. Then, he looked in all of the other directions. After a minute, he slowly relaxed.

“The coast is clear,” he said, though his voice was still a bit shaky.

Slowly, one by one, everyone went out of the bus. Looking around, they stuck close to each other out of fear of what lurks around the summer school.

Not a thing looked out of place. Monolith Valley Summer School stood as tall and proud as ever, and the trail to the campgrounds was untouched. It’s like all traces of them being there were erased, and nothing but a mirage was left.

“It’s...like a still-life photo,” Daiki said in shock. “There’s not even the tiniest bit of wind.”

Shido looked down at his feet. Slowly, he lifted up his boot. He left no footprint or even any sort of disturbance in the pebbles on the dirt road.

“W-We’re not even leaving any footprints,” he realized.

On cue, everybody looked down and tried to scuff the ground. Shido’s word remained true, and not a rock moved, nor dust parted in a line drawn by their heel.

Yuuki looked distressed. “This is...nothing like I was prepared to face. This is blatant magic.”

Hiroko quickly shook her head. “I can feel no magic whatsoever. This phenomenon is something else entirely.”

Everybody looked at each other with fear. Just a few moments ago, they were being gruesomely killed. Now, they were standing inside of some sort of painting that had no animation. No movement. No life besides the seven students.

The summer school’s entrance was only a few steps away. They would cross through the gated courtyard, then slip in between the large double doors inside. But nobody even thought about moving to them, at first.

“W...Well.” Kyou tried to collect his cool. “This is a rather...strange situation.”

“Is this the afterlife?” Yukio gasped. “Or some sort of fucked up purgatory?”

Daiki clenched his fists. “Whichever one it may be...I don’t think that’s it. If we were dead, I don’t believe we would be breathing or having our hearts race like this.”

“How do we know that?” Akihiko retorted. “Did you die once?”

“I...” Daiki actually didn’t respond to that at first. He looked as if he was really considering that possibility.

Akihiko noticed the hesitation. “Hey, I was joking! Don’t treat it as if it could be true!”

“No, but...when you said that, a part of me actually asked if I did die once. It was a part that’s...never spoke before. I don’t know where it came from. And it didn’t...sound like me, either.”

“Didn’t sound like you?” Yukio asked.

“...No, it’s nothing. I doubt I could explain it very well.”

Shido frowned. “No, I...I had that feeling, too.” Daiki looked surprised. “Just as I was about to wake up on the bus, some voice in my head said something like...I’m not who they say I am, and that I need to wake up. And yet, it wasn’t my voice. It was a different person’s.”

Akihiko frowned. “So both Daiki and Shido experienced a...second voice?”

“Well...Not just them,” Kyou admitted. “I didn’t hear a voice, but...I could feel something amiss as I woke up. Something wrong with...myself.”

Yuuki was quiet. His face was pale, and his entire expression was stiff. It seemed that something happened to break his normal posture. It could be either the complete character reset, of something else entirely, but whatever it was, Shido had no way of identifying the cause just by a glance.

“Y-Yuuki?” Shido asked, turning the attention to the Ultimate Clone. “Are you alright?”

“You look absolutely sick!” Hiroko gasped.

“...We have to go inside,” Yuuki finally said.

Kyou paused. “Inside? You mean inside the summer school?”

“No way am I goin’ back in there!” Yukio retorted.

Yuuki was able to recollect himself, returning to an emotionless face. “We have to. There is no way out except forward.”

“But what will change?” Daiki exclaimed. “Nothing! We need to find a way out!”

“And we will find a way out. It lies within the school at this very moment.”

Shido paused. “Wh...What? It does?”

Yukio frowned. “How...do you know?”

“...I don’t. I have no evidence to support it. Call it more of a feeling. I can feel that if we enter and continue our quest inside...everything will be okay. We will all make it out alive.”

“You say that, but it’s so hard to believe you,” Akihiko said.

“I know it is,” Yuuki admitted. “But I know that this...complete character reset was different. It did not remove our memories. What it did was save our lives. I have absolute belief that...well, I’ll say it once we run into Monokuma. I already know what to say to him.”

“Well...I guess you take point,” Yukio remarked.

“We’ll be right behind you...since we have nowhere else to go,” Hiroko added.

Everyone was afraid. Fearful of what was inside the school. And absolutely terrified of looking Monokuma in the eyes after escaping certain death. What was he going to say once he realized they avoided certain death, if he hadn’t found out already? Even worse, what would he do?

Nobody took the first step towards the school. Not even Yuuki, who spoke so confidently about facing what was inside. He looked as if that what he just said was to comfort himself, but it failed.

So the first person to move was Shido. He stepped past the shivering Akihiko, past the frozen Kyou, and stopped a few feet in front of the unmoving Yuuki.

“Well?” He asked, looking at everyone now staring at him. “Let’s go and find those answers.”

Confidence...bestowed upon himself from either the stress of reality or some other spirit beyond him. He didn’t know what it was. But it made his heart skip a bit, and at the same time made it feel lighter.

**Chapter 6: A Gambit Between Hopeful Punishment and Despairing Freedom**


	80. Chapter 6-2: A Gambit Between Hopeful Punishment and Despairing Freedom

Shido stepped towards the doors of the summer school. They were closed, just like the day they arrived. Not an ounce of wind blew his hair around. Everything seemed to be utterly still, as if frozen in time.

He raised a delicate hand. He pressed it onto one of the two wooden doors. He began to turn the knob to open it, but was met with resistance to tilt all the way.

“...Th-The door’s locked,” he realized.

Yukio looked surprised. “What? It is?”

“Do you think Monokuma locked it?” Akihiko asked.

“Yes, but why would he?” Kyou wondered.

Daiki scowled bitterly. “I don’t know. You would know out of all of us.”

“H-Hey!” Kyou panicked. “I really am sorry about-!”

Yuuki cut him off. “We are not going to debate your intentions with Daiki and whether your attachment to him was real or a fraud now. We have more important matters.”

Kyou gulped. “R-Right.”

“Maybe we can enter the campgrounds?” Yukio suggested.

“They could very well be locked too,” Hiroko pointed out. “It seems the entire school has reverted to the way it was before we ever arrived.”

“Heyheyheyheyheyhey!” A pissed-off voice chimed before Monokuma appeared in front of Shido, nearly startling him to trip down the stairs up to the door. “You all are supposed to be dead!”

“A-Ah!” Shido’s eyes widened. “Monokuma!”

“Well, at least we didn’t need to go on a goose chase for him,” Akihiko commented.

“I’m serious!” Monokuma continued. “You all guessed the culprit incorrectly! Therefore, your failure is punishable by death!”

“We weren’t even supposed to win,” Hiroko remarked. “You rigged Kohaku’s trial against us!”

“We didn’t guess the culprit correctly because they’re not even amongst us!” Daiki continued.

Yuuki scowled. “Now that we are all here, can you admit it? That the trial was unfair and meant to kill us?”

“How dare you accuse me of academic dishonesty!” Monokuma snarled. “You’re trying to ruin your poor headmaster’s prestigious name!”

“He won’t admit it,” Akihiko noted. “Nor tell us who killed Kohaku.”

“But isn’t it obvious?” Hiroko noted. “The only person to have done it was Junko Enoshima.”

Monokuma sighed. “I tell you the truth! The killer of Kohaku and Junko Enoshima...are two completely different people! She’s not killed any student!”

“Then if you are so confident in that, tell us who killed Kohaku,” Yuuki challenged.

“Well, obviously, it’s nobody other than...” Monokuma paused. “Actually...I don’t think you know him. So it wouldn’t do any good to tell you, would it?”

“You slimeball!” Hiroko seethed.

“Even backed into a corner like this, you have such an arrogant air about you,” Kyou commented.

“This is no corner I’m being backed into!” Monokuma snapped. “I am perfectly on my own standing!”

“Insurrection’s Abyss.”

Monokuma paused, and slowly looked at Yuuki. “Hm?”

“The apparently terrorist group that wants to end the killing game. The one the Yakuza was a mole for. Are they to blame for why we are alive without a single scratch on our bodies?”

Monokuma looked at Yuuki without any visible emotion. He had suddenly turned into a statue, unblinking but imposing. Shido sucked in a breath, as if preparing for something horrible to occur.

“Oh,” the bear finally said, as if he realized it himself.

Yuuki paused. “...Oh?” He repeated.

“Oh...Oooooooh...That stupid Wu Ming! That stupid rat!” Monokuma suddenly was enraged. “He ruined everything! Everything that was perfect up until this moment! It was all sliding into place!”

“Wh...What was?” Akihiko wondered.

“...Well, that’s all.” Monokuma suddenly became eerily happy again.

“That cannot be all!” Kyou exclaimed.

“You all may enter the school. I’m beary sorry you had to wait out here.”

“Wait, just wait a moment!” Yukio cried out.

Monokuma didn’t listen to any of them. He quickly left without another word. And after a moment, the door clicked, the lock on it removed.

“What just...happened?” Hiroko asked.

Yuuki was scowling. “This all was his plan. For all of us to eventually perish in the killing game, with no victor.”

Shido paused. “Wh-What?”

“Did you not hear what he said? All of the pieces were falling into place until this...Wu Ming interfered and saved our lives. Which means this plan that Monokuma had involved the death of all of us. The ending to Kohaku’s trial was set in stone, no matter what we did. Regardless of our vote, the mastermind would have executed us all.”

“And they used Kyou as a scapegoat?” Daiki questioned. “Why?”

“It’s as I said: only either the traitor or the mastermind would have killed Kohaku. Only they had the incentive to. Since the mastermind Junko Enoshima was the real killer, it would be obvious to her to frame Kyou for her deeds. Also, he is a killer.”

“Right...what we discovered in the class trial,” Shido realized.

** _Shido: _ ** _ Could you have possibly...murdered someone? I found a police report on a homicide, but it was heavily redacted. It does not even say the killer’s name. _

** _Kyou: _ ** _ ...I killed somebody...Did I really... _

“That redacted police report could have only belonged to Kyou, right?” Hiroko asked.

Yuuki nodded. “The only way the murder report belonging in Fuyuhiko Weil’s file would make sense is if it was referring to one of the secrets of Monolith Valley. In that case, it’s most likely referring to a dark secret of the mastermind or the traitor.”

That seemed to fit...so why did it feel off? Why did it feel like they were guessing the nature of the file incorrectly?

“However, what we know only scratches the surface,” Yuuki said. “In order to uncover all of the answers we desire, we have to dig in more within the school itself.”

“But where?” Akihiko questioned. “There’s no more places to look, right?”

“...That’s true,” Yuuki admitted. “But at the same time, we cannot accept defeat so easily. We must go down fighting, proving to Monokuma that our hope will not die as easily as he wants it to.”

“...He’s right,” Yukio remarked. “I want one last victory over that plush bastard! Even if it’s bittersweet, I at least want to go out smilin’!”

“You hold a bravery that I admire to your words,” Hiroko stated. “You have accepted that almost all outcomes lead to failure, but you will strive for taking down Monokuma with us.”

“Damn right!” Yukio agreed.

“Then I believe I am with you too,” Hiroko continued. “If we are to strive for one last push, meaningless or not, I might as well do it with my comrades.”

“Then it is settled?” Yuuki asked them all. “One last time, we will challenge Monokuma?”

Daiki smiled. “One last time. Whether we win or not.”

Yuuki nodded. “Good. You will need that resolve. However, we need to think of a plan, one that forces Monokuma to face us.”

“H-How do we do that?” Shido asked.

“I do not know,” Yuuki admitted. “We’ll have to think of something once inside.”

“Well then, let’s go!” Yukio cried. “Let’s not keep Monokuma waitin’ much longer!”

Yukio was right. They would not run from Monokuma’s motives, murders, and mayhem. Instead, they will face him head on, and force him into their own manipulatable situation.

How they were to do that, Shido had no clue. Perhaps it would be a stroke of luck, new information that could flip a previous case in on its head. Or maybe it was a slip in the cracks in the coverup of Kohaku’s trial, a slip waiting to be exploited.

Whatever it was, they will uncover it. And they will unearth the secrets of Monolith Valley Summer School!


	81. Chapter 6-3: A Gambit Between Hopeful Punishment and Despairing Freedom

Inside of the school looked completely normal at a first glance. It looked just as they left it. As if nothing had happened between the last time they were inside of it and now.

But everyone could feel the eerie suspense in the air. No chill or any sort of change in temperature occurred when they opened the door and stepped into the building. It, along with the rest of the environment, seemed to be stuck in a photorealism painting. Nothing moved whatsoever.

“It’s so creepy,” Daiki remarked.

“Not even the temperature has changed from the outside,” Hiroko remarked. “In fact, I don’t really feel hot or cold at all.”

“As if...temperature doesn’t even exist?” Kyou questioned. “But that’s impossible. Even more for both inside and outside to be at such a thermal equilibrium that exiting and entering don’t have a difference in temperature.”

“Which only adds to the strange quality of this school,” Yuuki continued. “In order to ensure victory over Monokuma, we have to use all evidence at our disposal to reopen a class trial.”

“You mean Kohaku’s?” Daiki asked.

“Perhaps, but I doubt that we’ll be able to win fairly at that,” Yuuki replied. “Also, we need to create a class trial that has us debating not a murder, but the mysteries of this school. Reopening Kohaku’s trial will just have Monokuma fiercely keeping the subject on the murder.”

“He would do that?” Yukio questioned.

“He’s being cornered,” Yuuki answered. “Of course he would.”

“S-So...Kohaku won’t have justice?” Shido questioned.

Yuuki smiled. “Oh, no. She will. Once we expose Junko Enoshima and the secrets of Monolith Valley, that will be more than enough for her spirit to gain closure. That was the goal she strived for this entire killing game, no? The answers to everything.”

“This is an extremely monumental task,” Akihiko noted. “Are you sure we can do this?”

“There is no sure gain,” Yuuki merely said. “Every step of this will be risky. But it must be done, or this killing game will continue on. And this time, I don’t believe Insurrection’s Abyss will step in to save us.”

Kyou nodded. “It must be done, then!”

“Then let’s do this!” Yukio declared. “Let’s go find something that’ll make Monokuma buckle in!”

“Shido and I will stay on the first floor,” Yuuki said. “Hiroko, Akihiko, and Yukio, investigate the upper floors. Daiki and Kyou-”

“I’m not going to work with him,” Daiki simply said, turning his head away from Kyou.

Kyou looked heartbroken. “Is this...because I am the traitor?”

“No, not at all. It’s because you set me up to take the fall once you were uncovered! I trusted you, and that’s how you repay me?! Attempting to blame me for a crime I did not commit?! You really are a coward!”

Kyou looked horrified. Tears were forming already. Shido was unsure if they were from guilt or from being yelled at.

Yuuki was unfazed. “Fine. Hiroko, can you go with Daiki instead?”

“Of course,” Hiroko replied. “I understand his grief at being betrayed by his closest companion within this game.”

“I...” Kyou didn’t seem to know what to say in his defense.

“If we are all fine with our positions, we have to get a move on,” Yuuki said. “Junko can kill any one of us and call for another unsolvable class trial.”

With that, everybody went to their places. Kyou, Akihiko, and Yukio began heading up the stairs to the other three floors. Meanwhile, Daiki and Hiroko left the building to head to the campgrounds. That just left Shido standing there with Yuuki.

Before the latter could move, Yuuki said, “You know, I wonder.”

Shido paused. “Huh? Wonder what?”

“Well, I wonder what side Kohaku really was on. She said that nobody here mattered to her, that only the game did. However, she seemed obviously attached to you.”

“Um...Why do you bring this up?”

“...For all we know, Kohaku’s failure in getting the files to one of us was because of being stopped beforehand. But there could have been another reason. She could have hesitated.”

Shido blinked. “What? Why would she?”

“Think about it. While those files held the secrets to everything within Monolith Valley, they also probably held dark secrets. For example, wherever Kohaku found the file, Tamotsu could have possibly found the Blood Clone files. And there was also a homicide report about Kyou Shun in it. What’s to say that within the files was information that would have torn us apart?”

“So you’re saying she hesitated because...she thought of how we would react?”

“...It’s a theory,” Yuuki admitted. “There’s no basis of proof behind it. But seeing as how she viewed you as a very close companion..

I wonder if her attachment to you caused enough pause within her to be taken by surprise and killed.”

“Th-Then can the secrets of Monolith Valley...really be that bad?”

Yuuki shook his head. “Again, it is a theory. It shouldn’t stop us from seeking out the truth.”

“R-Right...” Shido swallowed, but couldn’t force down the horrible feeling in his stomach. Did he have a horrible secret within those files like Kyou did? Something that made Kohaku think twice about passing over her knowledge?


	82. Chapter 6-4: A Gambit Between Hopeful Punishment and Despairing Freedom

“Now that’s an odd sight.”

Shido paused. Both he and Yuuki had been walking down the dorm hall. All of the other rooms had proved to be of no use, no information able to be used against Monokuma found. They had been returning to their rooms when Yuuki had suddenly stopped.

Shido looked over at Yuuki. “Um...what is?”

Yuuki pointed to the end of the hall. “That room is the Yakuza’s, right?”

Shido glanced over. “Um...Yea, it is.”

“It looks to be unlocked.” Yuuki began walking over to it. “It never has been unlocked before.”

Shido glanced over at the Yakuza’s door as well. Yuuki was right. It looked to be slightly open. However, upon the Yakuza’s death, it had been permanently locked, a contrast to student dorms unlocking upon their inhabitant’s death.

Yuuki walked up to the door. “I’ve always wanted to see what was inside of here.”

“Y-You have?”

“Our dorms unlock if we die. However, the counselors’ dorms don’t seem to apply to this rule. Monokuma obviously doesn’t want us going into these rooms. Because the Yakuza most likely has all of the secrets we desire.” Yuuki took the doorknob and pulled the door open.

It looked exactly like a student dorm, at first glance. However, it looked like a hurricane went through it. Files and papers were strewn all across the bed and floor. A metal-looking drawer in the corner was thrown to the floor, and the drawers in it had been yanked out and dropped onto the ground. It looked like somebody had torn through everything in the room.

Yuuki nodded. “Yes...this would make sense.”

Shido blinked in surprise. “It does?”

“Kohaku retrieved the file that she hid in the debate hall from here, correct? Junko Enoshima must have raced through this room once she realized Kohaku had access to it, and shredded through it. She didn’t want any other kinds of important information to leak through.”

Shido looked around in the room, looking at the papers. They all were filled with redacted black lines. Junko really did want no information to be revealed to the students. When did she have the time to censor this all?

His eyes went to the bed, and he immediately noticed a red glimmer. A key laid on top of a completely neat file. They both were entirely orderly, a sharp contrast to the chaos within the room. It was too out of place to be ignored.

Shido picked up the file in one hand and the key in the other. “...Yuuki. Look at this.”

Yuuki paused, and walked over. “What is it?”

“These papers are...about a homicide case. Just like Kyou’s file.”

Yuuki took the files and inspected the cover. It wasn’t a heavy file, meaning there wasn’t much in it. But the label on it said enough: “Tangled Shore Murders”. To the side was a written note in red pen, saying “Case solved/closed: CONFIDENTIAL FILE”. The handwriting was a bit familiar.

“Wh...What?!” Yuuki suddenly exclaimed.

Shido looked confused. “Yuuki? Wh-What is it?”

“Shido, this note right next to the file label...That’s Daiki’s handwriting!”

“Wh-What?”

“Daiki wrote a lot on the...boat escape plan paper.”

Shido looked confused. “There was a...escape plan?”

“It was probably during the time that we had lost our memories of. Anyways, I recognize this writing. This is Daiki’s, no doubt about it.”

“Then...was Daiki in here?” Shido questioned.

“...No. I don’t see a reason why he would write this on the file at all. This is...I don’t know what this is.” However, Yuuki shook his head. “We’ll dwell on it later.” He opened the file to the first paper within it.

** _Year:_ ** _ 620 P.C. (Post-Collapse) _

** _Incident No.:_ ** _ 191 _

** _Incident Ref.: _ ** _ “Tangled Shore Murders” _

** _Investigative Agency:_ ** _ Alliance Law Enforcement Branch, Last City _

** _Incident Information_ **

** _Day/Date/Time of Incident:_ ** _ January 3rd, 620 P.C. _

** _Location of Incident: _ ** _ Tangled Shore outskirts, the Reef _

** _Victim(s) Information_ **

** _Name: _ ** _ Prince Takumi Himura of Hoshido _

** _Victim Type:_ ** _ Human, Adult _

** _Age: _ ** _ 24 _

** _Sex: _ ** _ Male _

** _DOB:_ ** _ 12/14/1462 HNT (Hoshido Nohr Time) _

** _Race:_ ** _ Hoshidan _

** _Eye Color: _ ** _ Amber _

** _Hair Length/Color: _ ** _ 34”/Silver _

** _Weight: _ ** _ 149 pds (w/metal arm) _

** _Height: _ ** _ 5’4" _

** _Scars/Tattoos:_ ** _ Two scars on face, prosthetic left arm _

** _Offenses Victim Of: _ ** _ Murder _

** _Weapons Involved: _ ** _ Firearm, physical combat _

** _Name: _ ** _ Dynamo _

** _Victim Type: _ ** _ Reploid, Adult _

** _Age: _ ** _ N/A _

** _Sex: _ ** _ Male _

** _DOB: _ ** _ N/A _

** _Race: _ ** _ Reploid _

** _Eye Color:_ ** _ Blue _

** _Hair Length/Color: _ ** _ 26”/Silvery blue _

** _Weight: _ ** _ 231 pds _

** _Height: _ ** _ 6’11” _

** _Scars/Tattoos: _ ** _ N/A _

** _Offenses Victim Of: _ ** _ Murder _

** _Weapons Involved: _ ** _ Blade, destruction of soul _

** _Suspect(s) Information_ **

** _Suspect Location: _ ** _ Arrested, on lockdown _

** _Name: _ ** _ Andal Brask _

** _Age: _ ** _ N/A _

** _Sex_ ** _ : Male _

** _DOB: _ ** _ N/A _

** _Race: _ ** _ Spanish/Latina/Hispanic _

** _Eye Color: _ ** _ Brown/Red _

** _Hair Length/Color: _ ** _ 18”/Brown _

** _Facial Hair: _ ** _ Stubble beard _

** _Weight: _ ** _ 195 pds (w/ metal prosthetics) _

** _Height: _ ** _ 6’2" _

** _Scars/Tattoos: _ ** _ All four limbs metal prosthetics, tattoo of a winged clock on shoulder _

** _Crime Narrative/Information_ **

** _TANGLED SHORE, REEF_ ** _ \- Four soldiers were dispatched on a rescue mission. Both victims were two of these soldiers. A separation in the mission occurred, where Dynamo was killed by an assailant working for Andal Brask. The assailant killed him by pulling his soul out of his body and proceeding to shatter it, not only killing him but destroying his entire existence. _

_ Andal Brask engaged Takumi in combat, tearing out his tongue and severely hurting him. Takumi won, but was shot from behind by another assailant and died from bleeding out from the gunshot wound. _

_ Andal was taken back to the Alliance and put on trial six months later, on August 17th, 620 P.C. He was found guilty on the charges of second-degree murder and participation in first-degree murder. Both the surviving soldiers of the mission, Cayde-6 and Cedar, testified against him during the trial. He was sentenced to life lockdown and prohibited from using firearms indefinitely. _

Yuuki didn’t read beyond the first paper, at first. That was because Shido, who had been reading it over his shoulder, suddenly fainted. Turning around, Yuuki dropped the papers to catch him so he didn’t crack his head open on the floor.

“Shido?!” Yuuki screamed. “Shido, answer me! Are you okay?!”

_ “You heard?” _ _   
_ _   
_ _ “Every word. Takumi is dead, and my own uncle killed him.” _ _   
  
_

_ “You said this couldn’t happen. You said none of us could be consumed.” _ _   
_ _   
_ _ “Because I was naïve! I thought of my uncle as a god! He could do everything I couldn’t! And now he’s nothing but a monster!” _ _   
_ _   
_ _ “I’m Light Incarnate. I...I can use light to free him, right?” _ _   
_ _   
_ __ “You don’t know how. Even Gabriel doesn’t! It’s too late for him! It’s...too late for the only person who could understand me and stayed with me, no matter what.”

“SHIDO?!” The voice from the boy who spoke first came. This time, it was more poignant, and grounded in the present.

Shido forced his eyes open and looked up. Akihiko was crouching above him. Daiki was holding bottled water, having probably waited for him to begin stirring. The others were looking at him from a distance away, crowded around the contents of the file.

“I’m fine,” Shido said in a whisper, then in a clearer voice, he repeated it. “I’m fine.”

Akihiko slowly helped him up. “Did you get dizzy?”

“No, I...Akihiko, I heard you.”

Akihiko looked confused. “What? You heard me?”

“You were...talking...with me. And this girl’s voice I couldn’t recognize. Not Hiroko’s or Keiko’s or even Kohaku’s. We were...talking about what was in that file. About one of the victims.”

Yuuki looked up, finger trailing on one of the papers. “Which one, Shido?”

“It was...the first one listed, the second one that died. Takumi...Himura.”

Yuuki slowly closed the file. His eyes focused on it, and he seemed to think. After a moment, his frown turned into a grimace. He finally passed the file to the closest person to him, Hiroko, and walked over to Shido, kneeling down.

“You swear that the first voice you heard was Akihiko?” Yuuki asked.

Shido slowly nodded. “Definite.”

“Was there anything else strange about the conversation?”

“...The girl called Takumi’s killer her uncle.”

Yukio looked confused from staring at the file in Hiroko’s hands. “This Andal Brask guy?”

“I...don’t know, it’s really blurry...or I may just be dizzy...” Shido panted.

Daiki immediately screwed open the bottled water and held it to Shido’s lips. He drank all of it in one go, not allowing himself to breath. Once the last drop went down his throat, Daiki pulled away the plastic bottle, and Shido gasped for breath.

As he did so, Yuuki placed a hand on Shido’s arm. “And you have to be upfront with me. Was there anything else that stuck out to you at all?”

Shido frowned, trying to think. The conversation was now just a blur of voices with no words. He couldn’t remember what was being said. He could barely remember that Akihiko was one of the voices.

“I can’t remember,” he said. “It’s all...a blur.”

“Shido is probably still lightheaded from fainting,” Daiki said. “It could come back to him, or it was just a temporary hallucination.”

Yukio frowned. “Why would you hallucinate about you and Akihiko talkin’ to a strange girl, though?”

There was a click in the room, and Kyou’s cheerful voice. “Ah-ha! I found it!”

Shido sat up to look, guided by Daiki. Kyou was on his knees, looking at something on the floor. The key from on top of the file was in his hand. The other four students immediately went over to his side.

“What is it?” Hiroko asked.

“I felt that the floor had a weirdly-shaped lump on it, so I moved the carpet and found this!” Kyou gestured along the floor.

Shido got up, walking over on shaky feet. On the floor was a square-shaped hatch. The lock to it, colored red like the key, was unlocked and placed a few feet away. And now, Kyou was opening the lid with both hands, helped by Akihiko and Yukio on each side.

Yukio gritted his teeth. “Wow! Shit’s really heavy!”

“Could the Yakuza...really lift this on his own?” Akihiko wondered.

With a shove, the hatch fell back and thud against the floor, causing the ground to tremble a bit from the vibration. Everyone leaned to see what it covered: a long and narrow passageway descending down into the darkness, with a ladder ingrained into one of the walls.

“What the fuck has the Yakuza been keepin’ in his room?” Yukio wondered.

“Do all of the counselors have this?” Hiroko asked.

“But then why would it be hidden?” Daiki argued.

“And why would the key probably show up after the room was trashed?” Yuuki continued. “The file and the key were placed in open sight amidst this chaos for a reason.”

“...So who’s going first?” Akihiko asked.

Yukio raised a hand. “I will. I can probably see better in the dark than the rest of you.”

“Why are you not the Ultimate Survivalist?” Hiroko teased as he began to place his feet on the first rung.

Yukio began descending, keeping his eyes down. “Because I’m better with guns? Every skill doesn’t automatically make you the ultimate of it!”

Everybody waited, listening to the echoes every time Yukio’s foot hit a metal rung. Unanimously, they held their breath once the noises stopped.

“Shit, it’s dark down here!” Yukio’s voice echoed up to them.

“What can you see?” Kyou called.

“I can’t see anything, but let’s just say that the Yakuza’s really been preparin’ for us if this is what I think it is!”

All of the students looked at each other with wary on their faces. None of them moved, at first. They were waiting for somebody else to take the first movement.

Finally, Hiroko sighed and went first. It was probably to make sure nobody saw up her skirt. After a few moments, Kyou nodded and went next. Akihiko went third, Daiki in a close fourth.

Yuuki placed his feet on the first run, then looked at Shido. “Are you still feeling alright?”

Shido wasn’t sure. A strange feeling was welling up in his chest. It felt like longing, but he wasn’t sure for what. Perhaps he was longing for...whatever secrets they were about to find down there? Regardless, it felt like his chest was going to wring all of the air out of his lungs.

“Yes?” Shido admitted. “I’m not sure.”

Yuuki nodded in understanding. “Then I will go first, and catch you if you faint again. You can trust me, right?” His gaze softened, much like Tamotsu’s did when Shido was anxious or shying away.

At that, a pang of hurt flashed through his mind. Tamotsu...Kohaku, and Takehiko...they all were gone, having left him to stand alone. Could he really do it? Can he help the others solve all of the mysteries of Monolith Valley without their aid?

Shido looked at Yuuki again. He saw how the latter stared at him with a certain kind of expectation. He was asking him with his gaze to hold his head high and continue on. To help the others in things they couldn’t get through alone.

“Yea,” Shido said, and that made Yuuki smile. “I can trust you.”

Yuuki gave a friendly nod, then disappeared below. He was waiting just out of sight for Shido, determined to be ready in case he slipped into unconsciousness again.

As for Shido, he took a gulp that forced down his fears. Then, he began his descent into the unknown below.


	83. Chapter 6-5: A Gambit Between Hopeful Punishment and Despairing Freedom

“Ugh...it’s so dark and gloomy down here!”

“Hiroko’s right. I can barely see a thing. Where’s the light?”

“Ow! That’s my foot!”

“S-Sorry, Yukio! I didn’t see you there!”

“Oh, of course the one with heels had to step on my poor pinky toe!”

“Ah-ha! I believe I found the switch!”

Kyou flicked a switch on the wall up, and light flooded into the room. Everyone blinked as the ceiling lights turned on, buzzing with power. They reflected off the dark-colored walls, but gave no warmth, just as how the temperature was the same everywhere they went.

The room wasn’t big, but it wasn’t small either. There were tables and chairs galore, storage cabinets and computers there as well. It looked like a research bunker straight out of an apocalypse film.

“What the...” Daiki gasped.

“This is...all the Yakuza’s?” Hiroko wondered. ”Is it all related to Insurrection’s Abyss?”

“If so, how did he even get all of this without Monokuma knowin’?” Yukio questioned.

“Perhaps each counselor’s room has a bunker like this, and the Yakuza just furnished it to his gain?” Kyou suggested.

Yuuki scowled. “But then what would the purpose of the bunkers be for each counselor?”

“What else would explain the installment of this bunker going under Monokuma’s nose than it being here by his regulation?” Hiroko questioned.

Yukio was already going through the various different files. He leafed through folders with visible worry on his face. Everyone quickly went to his side, looking over his shoulder.

“...Why are all of these dated in the year of 620...P.C.?” Yukio asked. “What does P.C. mean? Why aren’t any of these 2087 A.D.?”

“That was the same with the Tangled Shore Murders file, right?” Yuuki asked. “It was dated 620 P.C. as well.”

“What’s...P.C.?” Daiki asked. “It sounds a bit familiar.”

“I was hoping you would say that, Daiki.”

Daiki looked confused at Yuuki. “Really?”

“The Tangled Shore Murders file has some writing on it, dictating the case as closed. The writing is exact to yours.”

“But...I don’t remember anything like this ‘Tangled Shore Murders’,” Daiki claimed.

“I believe you, don’t worry. So that’s why the writing has grabbed my attention. I don’t see how the teenage Ultimate Ship Captain would have the legal authority to close a homicide case.”

“Then it can’t possibly be Daiki’s handwriting, right?” Kyou asked. “There’s no way it can be, by your logic!”

“...We’ll have to discuss that in more detail later,” Yuuki said. “For now, this room is all we need and more.”

“It is?” Akihiko gasped.

“I have no doubt that the contents of this bunker hold all of the information we need to conduct a class trial. One to solve the mysteries of Monolith Valley, and why these Tangled Shore Murders are connected to it all.”

“All of the secrets are...here? Can you be sure of that?” Shido questioned.

Yuuki frowned. “Admittedly, no. We’re just relying on the Yakuza having prepared us for this moment. After all, he left all of this information waiting for us upon his death, did he not?”

“It’s true that it seems he set this all up so it could be found eventually,” Kyou remarked. “Everything is organized and in place, so there would be minimized effort to learn what’s what.”

“But are we really gonna do this?” Akihiko suddenly asked.

Daiki paused. “What...do you mean, Akihiko?”

“I mean...this is a really risky maneuver. What if, you know...we just not listen to Monokuma anymore? Ignore his motives and just try to live out our lives.”

“But then Kohaku’s trial will just happen again!” Hiroko argued. “An unfair and rigged trial that ends in our mass execution!”

“Hiroko’s right, Akihiko,” Daiki commented. “It’s really a bad move either way, but this one has some light at the end of the tunnel to it.”

“I would rather die and bring Junko Enoshima down with me than just straight-up die!” Yukio exclaimed while clenching his fists. “And I’m sure everyone here feels the same way!”

Akihiko, however, still frowned. Shido wondered what he was feeling in that moment that made him lose confidence. Perhaps he was scared of the truth? Scared of what horrible secrets the school held? Was his mind exaggerating the worst possibilities, or hitting them dead-on?

Yuuki nodded. “Then it is decided? We will use the Tangled Shore Murders to open a new case?”

“Damn right!” Yukio cheered.

“I’m besides you as well!” Kyou declared.

“We have no other option but forward,” Hiroko remarked.

“Let’s go down with this ship with dignity,” Daiki agreed.

Akihiko seemed to hold out at first. Then, he sighed. “At this point, it’ll be one against six, so...make it seven. I’m with you, too.”

Yuuki looked over at Shido himself. “What about you, Shido? Will you stand by us one last time?”

The answer was instantaneous, and confident. “Of course. I will fight until the bitter end with all of you.”

“I like that confidence!” Kyou remarked. “It’s a nice change of pace compared to your timidity!”

Yuuki smiled. “Then that’s it. Shido, come with me. The rest of you, try and find interesting information stored in this bunker. It’s time to barter with Monokuma.”


	84. Chapter 6-6: A Gambit Between Hopeful Punishment and Despairing Freedom

Both Yuuki and Shido seemed to know in an instant where Monokuma was. The gathering spot for meetings was always in the main hall. Therefore, it would seem right to assume he could be found there.

As they entered, there was a strange feeling in the air. It seemed to be apprehension. It made Shido’s legs lock up, and doubts of the plan began to trickle into his mind. Already, he was wishing he could back out, and get over the fence and just try and run away. It wasn’t electrocuted, and there were no guards, right?

Yuuki seemed to notice the sudden fear on Shido’s face. “Don’t.”

Shido blinked. “H...Huh?”

“Don’t make second thoughts. Don’t show fear. Otherwise, Monokuma will use that against you. And from there, the rest of us will fall easily.”

“Y-You make it sound like I’m really important to the group’s morale,” Shido remarked.

“Well, how would you feel if your group’s greatest crime solver fell to despair?” Yuuki pointed out.

Shido flushed red. “G-Greatest crime solver? I wouldn’t say that...I-I’m just some dancer.”

“The dancer who helped solve almost all of the class trials presented before us,” Yuuki retorted. “And the fifth one was a fluke rigged against us from the start, so it doesn’t count.”

“Y-Yea, but you’re making me out to be a hero or a leader that I’m not...”

“Can we not do this now?” Yuuki asked. “We have more important matters than to destroy our self-esteem.”

Shido blinked. “Huh? O-Oh, yea.”

“Monokuma!” Yuuki called. “Come on out! We want to talk to you!”

To answer his call, the bear showed up. “Hey! I was just about to arrive, too! Where are the rest of your classmates? I can’t find them anywhere on my cameras!”

Shido and Yuuki looked at each other. The Yakuza’s bunker had no cameras in it. Even better, it seemed Monokuma didn’t know of its existence at all. That was something noteworthy, to be sure.

“Monokuma, do you know of something called the Tangled Shore Murders?” Yuuki asked.

Monokuma tilted his head. “Hmmmmm? Such a thing does not exist.”

“The victims were the mercenary Dynamo and Prince Takumi Himura. The culprit was an Andal Brask.”

“Is it a low-popularity crime fiction book? Sure sounds like it.”

“Don’t bluff. It was a real event and you know it. And it’s connected to the secrets of Monolith Valley.”

Monokuma sighed. “I don’t understand what this is all about! It’s a solved murder case!”

Yuuki smiled. “Oh, so it did happen?”

“What if it did?” Monokuma questioned. “It doesn’t matter to the present! This killing game!”

“Oh, yes it does. And that is what had brought us to you. I demand you open a new class trial.”

“But that isn’t by the rules!” Monokuma whined. “A class trial only happens if a dead body is discovered!”

“Oh, with my terms, you’ll find it hard to refuse,” Yuuki commented. “We want a class trial that will solve all of the mysteries of Monolith Valley. Who the mastermind is, why we are here, and how the Tangled Shore Murders are connected to it.”

Monokuma only laughed at that. “And why should I do that?”

“Because if we fail, you have the right to execute us all. That is what you want, right? You want the game to end with all of us dead.”

“I want the game to be fair and square!” Monokuma cried in a rebuttal. “You’re suggesting that I’m cheating the very rules I established!”

“That is exactly what I am saying,” Yuuki remarked. “What would you do, execute me for it? All that would do is prove my point.”

Monokuma stared at Yuuki. It was like he couldn’t believe what he was saying. And it wasn’t exactly visible, but Shido was actually starting to believe that Yuuki had the headmaster cornered with his own game.

“All we want is a fair class trial of the mysteries,” Yuuki continued. “One last time, for old’s sake. Is that really so detrimental to your game?”

“But do you really want to know?”

Yuuki paused at that. His grin faded. “Hm?”

“The mysteries of this school...why you are here...the identity of the mastermind...the Tangled Shore murders...” Monokuma tilted his head. “Do you truly wish to know the truth behind it all? Even if said truth is so unacceptable, so brutal, so despairing, that it will destroy your entire sense of being?”

“I would rather die with the answer than die without it,” Yuuki responded coolly. However, Shido could still see his face soften, as if he was thinking over his words again.

Monokuma’s agitation went away instantly. “Well, okay.”

Yuuki was just as surprised as Shido. “...I’m sorry?”

“Since you’re being so demanding about it, I’ll open a super-duper special class trial! One about the mysteries of this prestigious summer school! And once you fail at it, you all will be executed!”

“And if we win?” Yuuki questioned.

Monokuma only chuckled. “I wonder if it’s even an ‘if’...Just remember that you asked for this, Yuuki Shunsho, the Ultimate Clone!”

Monokuma abruptly left, leaving the two alone. Shido exhaled a shaky breath. He felt as if their execution was about to repeat any second now.

Yuuki himself sighed. “I didn’t imagine that he would actually accept my terms and conditions. But what he did say was rather weird.”

Shido looked over. “What he...said? Wh-What about it?”

“The way he stated my name and Ultimate talent...it made it sound like he was reminding me of who I was, in case I forgot.” Yuuki tilted his head and stared at nothing in particular. “I wonder what was the purpose of speaking like that...”

“Yuuki?”

“...It’s nothing you should worry about. It probably just involves me. In any case, we should probably return to the Yakuza’s room and tell the others of our do or die situation.”

_ Ding dong, ding dong... _

_ “A special announcement! After a certain amount of time has passed, a unique class trial to debate the circumstances of this killing game will begin! I will be waiting for your results...Puhuhuhuhu...Ahahahaha!” _

“Even the class trial announcement was different,” Shido commented. “But...I don’t think everyone else heard it.”

Yuuki looked at Shido. “What do you mean?”

“Th-There’s obviously no cameras in the Yakuza’s bunker room. I doubt there would be a TV for announcements there, too.”

“Hm...You have a point, Shido. I guess we’ll have to tell everyone once we get down there.”

Heading back to the bunker had a strange feeling to it. This was it. The final act of the Killing Game Season. No matter how it ended, the conclusion of this class trial heralded the end. The thing that would end just depends if they are able to carry out their plan properly.

Entering the Yakuza’s room, Yuuki went first on the ladder down into the bunker. Shido followed close behind. The jitters and fear of fainting on the ladder seemed to have vanished. So what caused it in the first place?

That auditory hallucination of him, Akihiko, and a mysterious girl...the strange thing was, there were different tones in their voices. Shido sounded...confident, but weighed down with fresh grief. Akihiko’s sounded more mature overall, but was sorrowful all the same.

What was the scene? What caused such sadness in their voices?

Inside of the bunker, it seems everyone has split up. Multiple doors were open, and file drawers were opened and left unattended. It seems the bunker was much larger than a first glance would reveal.

“It seems everyone’s split up for investigation already,” Yuuki remarked.

“Um...Yuuki?” Shido asked.

“I know that you’re hesitant,” he immediately said. “Scared, even. But remember that we worked hard for this.”

“No, that’s not it. It’s that...Kohaku would have really wanted to be here. All of the answers...they’re right here, right?”

Yuuki’s face fell. “Yes...she would have wanted to make it to this point, with the rest of us.”

Shido nodded. “And knowing that...it also makes me remember that she would have wanted us to press forward. To discover what’s really going on. She died trying to make sure that we knew, right?”

Yuuki smiled. “Right. She would be so happy to know we’ve made it this far.”

That seemed to alleviate Shido’s worries. His smile became a bit brighter, and the tension in his shoulders went away a bit more. Bit by bit, the confidence exclusive to the class trials broke through his timidity.

“Right...we have to do this!” Shido declared. “For Kohaku, Tamotsu, and everybody that’s been lost so far!”

“I’ll go inform everyone of our deal with Monokuma, in case they didn’t hear it,” Yuuki said. “You can begin investigation, right?”

Shido nodded. “Uh-huh!”

Yuuki gave him another smile, then turned. “Then good luck,” he returned as he went through one of the open doors in search of the others.

This was going to be the most complicated class trial yet. Instead of debating a murder, they were to be talking about the enigma plaguing them and the basis of this entire killing game. Whatever it was, it was bound to turn inside out everything they ever knew about Monolith Valley Summer School.

For Takehiko.

For the Yakuza.

For Keiko, and Haruku, and Tamotsu, and Yuji, and Asuka, and Yoshie, and Akio…

And for Kohaku.

It’s time to end this!

**INVESTIGATION START**


	85. Chapter 6: Investigation Period

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Today is June 5th, the night of a full moon. If you are a practitioner of pagan crafts or Christian prayer, please use the advantage of a full moon to pray for the safety of the Black Lives Matter protesters and cast hexes on those who wish to do them harm. And if you are going out to protest, make sure you stay safe and use cold water instead of milk to wash your eyes if you get hit by tear gas. I know times may seem scary now, but as long as we stand together, we'll all make it out okay! Black Lives Matter, everyone!

First of all, he should probably check over the Tangled Shore murder case file again, to get a better grip of it. Luckily, it was placed to the side, on a table nearby. Picking it up, he checked over the paper in it again.

** _Year:_ ** _ 620 P.C. (Post-Collapse) _

** _Incident No.:_ ** _ 191 _

** _Incident Ref.: _ ** _ “Tangled Shore Murders” _

** _Investigative Agency:_ ** _ Alliance Law Enforcement Branch, Last City _

** _Incident Information_ **

** _Day/Date/Time of Incident:_ ** _ January 3rd, 620 P.C. _

** _Location of Incident: _ ** _ Tangled Shore outskirts, the Reef _

** _Victim(s) Information_ **

** _Name: _ ** _ Prince Takumi Himura of Hoshido _

** _Victim Type:_ ** _ Human, Adult _

** _Age: _ ** _ 24 _

** _Sex: _ ** _ Male _

** _DOB:_ ** _ 12/14/1462 HNT (Hoshido Nohr Time) _

** _Race:_ ** _ Hoshidan _

** _Eye Color: _ ** _ Amber _

** _Hair Length/Color: _ ** _ 34”/Silver _

** _Weight: _ ** _ 149 pds (w/metal arm) _

** _Height: _ ** _ 5’4" _

** _Scars/Tattoos:_ ** _ Two scars on face, prosthetic left arm _

** _Offenses Victim Of: _ ** _ Murder _

** _Weapons Involved: _ ** _ Firearm, physical combat _

** _Name: _ ** _ Dynamo _

** _Victim Type: _ ** _ Reploid, Adult _

** _Age: _ ** _ N/A _

** _Sex: _ ** _ Male _

** _DOB: _ ** _ N/A _

** _Race: _ ** _ Reploid _

** _Eye Color:_ ** _ Blue _

** _Hair Length/Color: _ ** _ 26”/Silvery blue _

** _Weight: _ ** _ 231 pds _

** _Height: _ ** _ 6’11” _

** _Scars/Tattoos: _ ** _ N/A _

** _Offenses Victim Of: _ ** _ Murder _

** _Weapons Involved: _ ** _ Blade, destruction of soul _

** _Suspect(s) Information_ **

** _Suspect Location: _ ** _ Arrested, on lockdown _

** _Name: _ ** _ Andal Brask _

** _Age: _ ** _ N/A _

** _Sex_ ** _ : Male _

** _DOB: _ ** _ N/A _

** _Race: _ ** _ Spanish/Latina/Hispanic _

** _Eye Color: _ ** _ Brown/Red _

** _Hair Length/Color: _ ** _ 18”/Brown _

** _Facial Hair: _ ** _ Stubble beard _

** _Weight: _ ** _ 195 pds (w/ metal prosthetics) _

** _Height: _ ** _ 6’2" _

** _Scars/Tattoos: _ ** _ All four limbs metal prosthetics, tattoo of a winged clock on shoulder _

** _Crime Narrative/Information_ **

** _TANGLED SHORE, REEF_ ** _ \- Four soldiers were dispatched on a rescue mission. Both victims were two of these soldiers. A separation in the mission occurred, where Dynamo was killed by an assailant working for Andal Brask. The assailant killed him by pulling his soul out of his body and proceeding to shatter it, not only killing him but destroying his entire existence. _

_ Andal Brask engaged Takumi in combat, tearing out his tongue and severely hurting him. Takumi won, but was shot from behind by another assailant and died from bleeding out from the gunshot wound. _

_ Andal was taken back to the Alliance and put on trial six months later, on August 17th, 620 P.C. He was found guilty on the charges of second-degree murder and participation in first-degree murder. Both the surviving soldiers of the mission, Cayde-6 and Cedar, testified against him during the trial. He was sentenced to life lockdown and prohibited from using firearms indefinitely. _

From this, he can definitely gather the same information a Monokuma File entails. Time of death, cause of death, the one murdered, and whatnot. The basic knowledge of the victims would be useful in the trial.

The murderer was already logged, as well, which was why the case was closed. This Andal Brask had been the cause of both of their deaths. However, according to the file, it seemed that he himself did not kill them, but masterminded their deaths. That’s why he was guilty on participation charges, not direct first-degree murder.

**Tangled Shore Murders Report was added to your Truth Bullets.**

**Andal Brask was added to your Truth Bullets.**

There were more papers in the file. Up until this point, Shido never had the opportunity to investigate them. Now, he flipped through the next few pages, studying the contents.

The next two pages were body autopsies of each of the victims. Dynamo’s was practically simplistic, with marks signalling physical damage all over his body. Then, a large blotch was on his chest, with the note “Soul shattered, cessation of spiritual existence, killing blow”.

Takumi’s body autopsy was much more eyecatching. First, markings were around his mouth with the note “Tongue removed, large amount of blood lost”. Multiple markings were on his body: “physical damage suffered from fight”. Finally, there was a marking on his chest labelled “gunshot wound”. The line indicated a diagonal direction, therefore a slanted hole in the body from the bullet passing through.

There really was no reason to mark the specific details of the body autopsies down. Still, every bit of evidence helps. Shido marked down the information anyways.

**Body Autopsies was added to your Truth Bullets.**

The next paper was handwritten, in semi-messy handwriting. The title was “Witness Account: Cayde-6”. The following seemed to be his testimony of the case:

_ “I stand against Andal Brask in the trial. He is obviously mentally disturbed, as evidence indicates this was a premeditated murder. They had planned to split us four up, then takes us out one by one. It’s a miracle Cedar and I survived. _

_ “When Andal’s goon fired the killing blow against Takumi, I was fending off the other two assailants of their team. I was unable to make it in time, and was only able to scare them off after their work was complete.” _

This must be one of the two witness’s account of what happened. This report was from a Cayde-6. That name matched up with what the homicide report stated. So that must mean the second witness testimony belonged to Cedar.

The other written testimony was in much more neat handwriting, almost cursive in manner. It took a moment for Shido to begin to decipher it properly.

_ “I stand against Andal Brask in the trial. I saw Takumi as a son, and Dynamo as an even closer companion in life. He took both of them from me without even blinking. I was standing in front of my kid. Could I have saved him? _

_ “Andal and his puppet were standing directly behind Takumi when he fired. It took him out almost instantly, but left him enough time to try and garble out his last words. Cayde ran up a couple of moments later, and was just as devastated as being unable to save him in time like I was. _

_ “Takumi tried to say something when his tongue was initially removed by Andal. Something that could apparently destroy the Alliance. It was unintelligible, but something like...unruh rei. What could that possibly mean?” _

Both of the accounts colluded perfectly. They were able to give Shido a picture of what happened: There were four assailants. Two took care of Cayde-6 and Dynamo, killing the latter. The other two attacked Cedar and Takumi, again killing the latter. Only one was named that whole time, Andal Brask.

**Witnesses of Murder was added to your Truth Bullets.**

**Cayde-6’s Account was added to your Truth Bullets.**

**Cedar’s Account was added to your Truth Bullets.**

That was all that the file held...the homicide report, the body autopsies, and the witness testimonies. It wasn’t going to be of much use anymore.

However, as he closed it, he looked at the cover again. At Daiki’s handwriting, stating “Case solved/closed: CONFIDENTIAL FILE”. The handwriting that had no right being on the cover of a confidential homicide file.

Just...when was that written? Did Daiki enter the Yakuza’s room before? Or did he even remember writing this? Even Yuuki did not believe Daiki remembered writing this, so did it happen during the time that they lost their memories of?

**Writing On File was added to your Truth Bullets.**

“O-Oh, Shido!”

Shido looked up from setting down the file. Kyou was standing a few feet away from him. He seemed to have been heading to go back up the ladder into the Yakuza’s room.

Knowing he was the traitor for the mastermind Junko, Shido regarded him with suspicion and narrowed his eyes. “What are you doing, Kyou?”

The Ultimate Organizer shied away under his gaze. “W-Well, since you asked so politely...Yuuki asked me to go back up into the Yakuza’s room, so I would be able to hear the announcement for when the investigation period is over! Then, I will be able to tell the rest of you, and nobody will be late to the bus!”

“And how can we trust you, since you are the traitor? You could very well just go on your own and leave us to be executed for tardiness.”

“Wh-Why are you so rude all of a sudden?!” Kyou exclaimed. “What’s with you, Shido?!”

Shido didn’t know himself why he acted like that. It had been a sudden feeling of malice to see somebody who was prepared to sell the rest of them out to save his own skin. In fact, it was probably his fault that whatever happened when they lost their memories actually happened.

Shido turned his head away. “Well, get on with it. I’m investigating.”

“Oh, um...Well, I can tell you what I found...”

He lifted his head again. “Which is?”

Kyou cleared his throat. “I found a recorded transcript on what seemed to be the trial for Andal Brask. It included numerous different names and terms that I didn’t really understand, but...I feel the ghost writer is important.”

“The...ghost writer?”

“The person who wrote down the transcript. They record everything that’s said in a meeting, or in this case, a trial. The transcript noted the ghost writer by name...an Adam Wyrick.”

Shido frowned. “Who’s that?”

“I don’t know, but...when I read it, it sounded familiar. Really familiar, like I’ve heard it before. I just don’t remember where. Perhaps I watched the trial live when it occurred...”

“Impossible,” Shido countered. “There’s no country out there that uses P.C.”

Kyou nodded. “Yea, you’re right,” he admitted. “But I can swear that I’ve heard the name Adam Wyrick before.”

“Which room did you find the transcript in?” Shido began looking at all of the open doors.

“Oh...That one.” Kyou pointed to a door to the left. “It’s on the first desk that you see. I think Yuuki is still in there, too.”

“Well...okay.” Shido nodded. “You go on up back to the room, okay? And no funny business.”

“Y-You got it!” Kyou scurried to the ladder, and began heading back up, leaving Shido to stand in the main room.

Adam Wyrick...it wasn’t as striking to him as Kyou seemed to emphasize it. However, it did feel the slightest bit familiar. As if he’s heard it in passing conversation sometime before. But it was a lead, albeit a far-off and unexplainable one.

Shido entered the room that Kyou pointed out. It was a small room, with only a few desks and a single computer. Yuuki was at the computer, seeming to have some issue with logging in.

Shido went to his side. “Um...Yuuki?”

Yuuki looked over his shoulder at him. “Ah, Shido. I could use some help.”

“What’s the problem?” He asked.

“This computer has someone named Fuyuhiko Weil logged in. The Yakuza, remember? I bet we’ll find valuable information on it, but it’s asking for a three-letter password. I’ve tried everything I can think of.”

Shido looked around. “Maybe the password is written down somewhere in this room?”

“Good idea. You try and find it, I’ll keep attempting to get in.” Yuuki turned back to the keyboard. “Let’s see...is it numerical?”

As Yuuki continued his attempts, Shido walked over to the desks. Like Kyou said, there was a file on top of one of them, labelled “Andal Brask’s Trial Transcript”. In the corner was the note “Transcribed by Adam Wyrick”.

Shido moved aside the transcript file. “Hm...Adam Wyrick...”

Yuuki looked up. “Yea, Kyou told me that it stood out to him. Don’t understand why, though. Does it seem important to you?”

“Not exactly,” Shido admitted. “I don’t think I would have given the name more than a passing glance. But now that Kyou’s pointed it out, I feel like I’ve seen it somewhere before.”

“Like on the news?” Yuuki guessed. “It’s not a Japanese name, so I don’t think you could have possibly met him in person.”

“It would make sense if a trial like this was broadcasted,” Shido said. “And that might explain...”

As Shido mulled over the strange vision that occurred, Yuuki frowned. “The vision you got when you initially saw the file, right? Perhaps you, Akihiko, and that girl you mentioned were watching it?”

“That’s a theory, but...That may not be it...”

**Shido’s Vision was added to your Truth Bullets.**

As Yuuki continued searching, Shido noticed something. A black file, with green letters on it. All it said was “Homicide Case”. Was that...Kyou Shun’s murder case?

Shido reached over and took the file. He opened it up, half-expecting to see a paper filled with redacted lines. Instead, his eyes went wide at a single paper lying inside.

_ ALLIANCE INVESTIGATION _

_ SUPPLEMENTAL REPORT _

_ CASE REFERENCE: HOMICIDE/FIRST DEGREE MURDER _

_ DATE OF OFFENSE: SEPTEMBER 4, 618 P.C. _

_ VICTIM: CAYDE-6 VASILIEV (TIMELINE PRIME VER.) _

_ MURDER LOCATION: TANGLED SHORE _

_ CONVICTED KILLER: ULDREN SOV _

_ CURRENT STATE: CONVICTED KILLER IDENTIFIED, CONVICTED KILLER DECEASED _

_ SPECIAL NOTES: THE VICTIM’S WIFE, LUCY-1 VASILIEV, HAS TAKEN UPON THE ROLE OF HUNTER VANGUARD AFTER HUSBAND’S DEATH. _

_ THIS HOMICIDE CASE IS NOW CONSIDERED HOLDING OUTDATED INFORMATION AS OF JANUARY 20TH, 620 P.C., AS KILLER STATUS IS NOW ALIVE AND PARDONED. _

...What? The case file was now complete, but not only did it hold completely new information...it had been a completely different case than what they thought. This didn’t relate to Kyou Shun at all.

Was this what Kohaku had read, and wanted to pass on to them? But why? This Uldren Sov...was he related to the Killing Game Season?

Uldren Sov...

Uldren...

_ “I’ll put it this way. Takumi was a good friend to both of you. He even had romantic feelings for you both, and was even comfortable with the idea of sharing this to me. And I know at least Uldren reciprocated the feelings. On the other hand, Andal Brask is a man we know nothing of, and for good reason. Things could have happened to him in the five years he was going around the universe. Perhaps he was even with Fox all along? The point I am making is, we must deal an eye for an eye. Andal Brask must pay for his crimes. Screw any law that says otherwise.” _

There was a harsh smack to Shido’s face, and he yelped. Sitting upright from laying on the ground, he looked around immediately until he set his eyes on Yuuki, who had a hand slightly raised as if to hit him across the cheek again.

“You fainted again,” he said. “Another vision?”

“Try Sov,” Shido replied.

Yuuki paused. “What?”

“S-O-V. Sov. Try that for the password.”

At first, Yuuki looked at him like he was crazy. However, he still got up and moved back to the computer. And after a moment, there was the sound of fingers pressing down on the keys of the keyboard.

“...Oh!” Yuuki sounded surprised. “It worked!”

Shido himself was surprised at first. “It did?”

“Let’s see here…” Yuuki leaned closer. “There’s a lot of terms on this computer that I can’t really understand. Come take a look.”

Shido got up from still laying on the floor. Trying to shrug off his dizziness, he made his way over to Yuuki’s side to take a peek at the computer screen.

What was immediately eyecatching was the background. About eight people stood together in formal outfits for what seemed to be a family photo. All of them had a single daffodil tucked behind their right ear. Five were the counselors that had been watching over them this whole time. Nagito was on the complete left end, holding a partially complete bundle of daffodils. An unidentifiable boy or girl stood in front, being pet by Hope giving a surprisingly warm smile. And in the back was an old man getting close to the end of his life, propping himself up with a cane and smiling down upon the younger people.

“Is that a family photo?” Shido questioned.

Yuuki pointed out the old man. “Then that must be...the father? Or their grandfather?”

“Which means everyone else is a pack of siblings, right?” Shido continued. “All seven of them.”

“So who are these three? The old man, the girl in front, and the white-haired boy?”

Since all of these people were obviously family...they would all have the last name Weil, just like Nagito and Hajime did. But who indeed were the girl/boy in front and the old man?

**Uldren Sov Homicide Report was added to your Truth Bullets.**

**Weil Family Photo was added to your Truth Bullets.**

Also on the computer were various different files, all with different names. Since Yuuki had the mouse, Shido didn’t say anything and let him choose which one to open.

“What’s this one?” Yuuki let the mouse go to one. “It just says ‘Alliance’...”

“Try it,” Shido gouded on.

Yuuki clicked on it, and a tab opened up on the screen. All there was inside were four text files and one video file, nothing else. They were labelled as “Alliance”, “Libra von Brigheld’s Email”, “Email to Adam Wyrick”, and “Camera Feed: 1/02/620, 11:21 PM”

“Libra von Brigheld...” Yuuki muttered.

“Adam Wyrick!” Shido exclaimed. “The ghost writer in Andal Brask’s trial! And Dynamo, one of the victims of the Tangled Shore murders!”

“You think they’re important?” Yuuki asked.

“Well...We should probably go in the order it’s laid out, right?” Shido suggested.

“Hm...true,” Yuuki admitted. “I’ll open this one first.” He clicked on the text file labelled “Alliance”.

The screen that popped up was white with black typewriter-like text. It looked like the same font that coding used. And there was a lot of it, judging by how far the tab could scroll down.

“...Hey Shido, can you give me a moment?” Yuuki asked. “You can go check on the others.”

Shido watched Yuuki begin to read. “Huh? Why?”

“A lot of this stuff is just filler. It seems to just be a long essay of whatever this Alliance is. I can collect the main points and get the picture from that. And at the same time, I do want to know if the others are having the same luck as we are. So could you do a favor like that for me?”

Shido nodded. “Of course. I was wondering how everybody else was faring myself. I can go see, if that’s what you want.”

“Yea, that’ll be nice. I’ll come get you when I’m done looking through this.”

As Yuuki began to read, Shido left him there. Exiting what had to be the Yakuza’s computer room, he crossed the main room and entered the door to the right, now.

Unlike the computer room, which had only one person, there were three people inside of this one. Hiroko was standing off to the side, Daiki was flipping through one of the files, and Akihiko was in the corner alone.

Shido decided to talk to Hiroko, first. “Ah, Hiroko. Found anything of value?”

“Shido. Not really.” Hiroko seemed dismayed. “All I know is what we all know. About the strange occurrences around us, Insurrection’s Abyss...”

“Right. The apparently terrorist group that wants to end the killing game.”

“Though we barely know anything about them,” Hiroko pointed out. “All we know is what Monokuma and the counselors said to us, and they could have been lying. For all we know, Insurrection’s Abyss does not exist at all, and it was just a scare tactic to keep us in line.”

“But if it is, it could prove to be connected in some way to the mysteries we’re trying to solve,” Shido pointed out. “So it wouldn’t hurt to keep them in mind.”

“You have a point, but I don’t expect much,” Hiroko replied.

Shido admittedly didn’t, either. But it was better to have all sorts of information than to be undermanned in a life or death class trial. Even if nothing came from the information, it was still a good idea to keep the knowledge of Insurrection’s Abyss in his back pocket.

**Insurrection’s Abyss was added to your Truth Bullets.**

Next, Shido decided to check with Daiki. He was studying one of the files in this room, seeming to study the contents. He was aware enough to look up from it, closing the file as Shido approached.

“Hey, Shido.”

“Hi, Daiki. Any luck?”

“Well so far, I haven’t found any other files with my handwriting on it, but I don’t know if that’s good or not. However, I did find something that’s rather interesting.”

“You did seem interested in that file you’re holding,” Shido agreed. “So what is it?”

“It’s a log of experimentations,” Daiki repljed, opening up the file again. “It deals with the concept of...two entities within one host body. There’s only one recorded experimentation, but also a large numbered gap, so there’s been a lot more than just these in this file.”

Shido extended a hand. “May I see it?”

“Oh, of course. I was just wrapping up my reading, anyways.” Daiki passed it over. “I’ll continue finding more stuff that could be useful.” 

As Shido began to open the file, Daiki walked out. He was right. There was only one paper within the unlabelled and unmarked file. Shido decided to read it, anyways.

He could see black bars of censoring, which surprised him. Was it always like this? Was the Yakuza hiding something on that paper? Or has the worst come to past, and the mastermind Junko knew of this place and was already at work removing valuable information?

The questions shot a chill down Shido’s spine, and he shuddered. Instead of thinking about that, he focused on reading what was now in front of him: “Soulcraft E. #78: [REDACTED]”

** _Date: _ ** _ 9/30/619 P.C. _

** _Soulcraft Function: _ ** _ Two entities exist within same body, second entity copying first entity’s mannerisms and personality, second entity becomes sleeper agent within first entity (the host), first entity will not have memories of second entity’s actions _

** _Subject(s) Name: _ ** _ [REDACTED] _

** _Notes: _ ** _ Uploading of second entity complete success _

_ First entity released into Alliance _

_ Second entity performing actions in a desirable manner _

** _Overall: SUCCESS_ **

A sleeper agent...within an Alliance...That was the same organization listed on the Yakuza’s computer, right? The one Yuuki was reading at this moment. So what good was a sleeper agent? And what organization did they work for? Even more, who was the agent?

**Soulcraft E. #78: [REDACTED] was added to your Truth Bullets.**

Shido set down the file back where Daiki had presumably picked it up from. There was nothing more he could gather from it. Now, all he had to do was talk to Akihiko.

Speaking of, he was currently shifting through a drawer full of files. He seemed particularly picky on what he was to select for reading. He initially ignored Shido as he walked up, but turned his head to look when he tapped his shoulder.

“You need something?” Akihiko asked, arm deep into the drawer.

Shido recoiled his hand. “Just checking to see how you were doing.”

“Well, I haven’t found anything significant so far,” Akihiko admitted. “You here to help me with that?”

“I guess it won’t hurt to lend a helping hand.” Shido began to peek into the drawer as well. “Let’s see...”

All the way in the back of the drawer was hard to see at first. Akihiko moved the files forward so it could be more visible. There, Shido spotted a paper that immediately grabbed his attention. He could see the ending of a word, “liev”.

Immediately, Shido snatched the paper and pulled it out. This quick movement startled Akihiko, who pulled out his hand as well.

“Don’t scare me like that!” He exclaimed as Shido began to read the paper.

_ The following message was relayed by email/broadcast across the Tower. _

_ “This is an Alliance-wide message. This is Vanguard Commander Zavala urging all to be on your guard and to not travel alone at all times, especially during the night. There are now a total of sixteen missing Alliance members, all of varying ranks. The disappearances began with Rowan Vasiliev and the Luxonia Gabriel, who now vanished almost exactly two months ago. Once again, I urge you to be on your guard and to not travel alone at all times.” _

“Gh...!” 

Shido looked at Akihiko, who was suddenly looking as if he had seen a ghost. “Akihiko? What’s wrong?”

“...Nothing,” Akihiko quickly replied. “I thought I saw something, but...It’s nothing you should worry about, honestly!”

Akihiko seemed to be hiding a great amount of sudden stress behind a shaky smile. He must have seen something on the paper that disturbed him greatly, but what? It felt wrong to press him about it, so Shido decided to stay quiet on it.

**Missing Persons Announcement Transcript was added to your Truth Bullets.**

Shido held out the paper to Akihiko. “You want to have it?”

“...I’ll like to look at it a bit closer, if that’s okay,” Akihiko admitted.

Shido gave Akihiko a smile, and handed it over. He watched as the Ultimate Knight took it in shaky hands, beginning to study it over again. His body language gave the obvious message that their conversation was now over.

That means that Shido’s found all he could in this room. All that was left was the middle door that lead to the fourth and possibly final room in this bunker. He exited the room and stepped back out into the main one.

Not really to his surprise, Daiki was in the main room. He seemed to be doing a double-check of the contents of each drawer. So far, it looks like he's found nothing extraordinary.

“How is it going, Daiki?” Shido asked.

Daiki looked up. “Oh, Shido. So far, no good. Nothing about the Tangled Shore murders or those weird experimentations. All I’m coming up with is a lot of weird other conducted studies.”

“Like what?”

Daiki frowned. “Well, there was...one that stuck out to me a little. There was a paper that talked about...the NMMA.”

Shido frowned. Somehow, that sounded eerily familiar. “The...NMMA?”

“Neural Memory Mapping Animation. It was apparently a machine extracted and remodelled from the ‘ruins of an old civilization, before the Collapse’.”

“So before P.C., as in Post-Collapse,” Shido theorized.

“If that’s what you think,” Daiki responded. “The machine was modelled to hold up to the capacity of sixteen people. They would be put in a comatose state in the physical world, while their mental state would be uploaded to a sort of virtual reality. Their avatars were meant to take the shape of their deepest desires: what the person wants to be.”

Shido frowned. “How was that...unique to you?”

“...You remember that the experiment I showed you had notes and an ‘overall’ part, whether it was a success or a failure?”

“Yea?”

“I don’t think the experiment was ever completed. The last thing on it was a note saying ‘NMMA activated; standby’. There was no overall success or failure written down.”

“So what do you think happened?”

“I don’t know. That’s why the file stood out to me the most.”

An incomplete experiment called the NMMA...and the feeling that Shido’s heard it from somewhere before. Was that important to Monolith Valley’s secrets?

**The NMMA was added to your Truth Bullets.**

Before Shido can choose where to go next, Yuuki suddenly walked in. “Hey. Daiki.”

Daiki looked confused. “Huh?”

“Can you go gather everybody down here? I want to talk to everyone.”

“Oh! Of course.” Daiki quickly moved back into the room to the right.

Shido looked at Yuuki. “Are you finished with reviewing the files?”

“Indeed. And in my honest opinion, what’s on there is very interesting. They may be the key to the entire background of the Tangled Shore murders.”

There were sounds of footsteps, and Shido turned to see Yukio emerge from the middle room. Right, Shido still hadn’t talked to him. He must have heard what Yuuki said and wrapped up his investigation in the only room Shido had yet to enter.

“What’s the situation?” Yukio asked.

“Ah, just in time. We were about to review some crucial evidence I had come up on. What were you doing?”

“Well, the room I was in barely had anythin’,” Yukio admitted. “Most of my time in there was dedicated to finding a way to open the hatch in it.”

Shido immediately cut in. “Stop, stop, stop. What did you just say? There’s a hatch in there?”

“Oh, right. Yea, there is. But I can’t find any way of openin’ it. There’s no lock and key, no visible electronic pad, it’s practically sealed. And all my attempts of brute force yielded nothin’.”

“So there’s a negative-2nd floor?” Yuuki questioned. “What could be down there?”

“I...don’t think anythin’ big,” Yukio admitted. “Since everythin’ was metal, if you were to stomp on the floor, you would hear a noise that would indicate the ground below you is hollow. When I did that, the perimeter I mapped out was extremely small-about a bit bigger than the size of the hatch itself. I have no idea how deep it is, however, so it could just be a descendin’ ladder.”

Yuuki gave a bit of a smile. “You really are a hunter, aren’t you?”

Yukio blushed a bit, though looked either embarrassed or nervous. “Aww, it’s nothin’.”

A hatch that held a small space...what could it lead to, or what could it hold? What would even fit in such a small space, if it was just a room?

**Hatch in Bunker was added to your Truth Bullets.**

By now, everyone else except Kyou was now in the main bunker room. The attention was on Yuuki now.

He was already re-entering the room to the left. “Follow me, everyone. It’s better if you all see this with your own eyes.”

A few of them exchanged confused looks. Shido moved first, entering the left room. After a moment, everyone else began to follow, stepping into the room one by one.

Akihiko looked around. “This room is jam-packed with files!”

“Those are not why we are in here.” Yuuki approached the computer, instead. “If you would direct your attention here, please?”

Everyone gathered around Yuuki as he bent over the keyboard. Shido noticed multiple tabs were opened up, probably all of the text and video files they both had found.

However, Yuuki opened what seemed to be a notepad application. It was filled with bullet points, and at the end was a basic summary. Shido leaned in closer to read it properly.

_ “The Alliance is a democratic confederation government that has replaced the power of the theocracy in the Last City. This shift of power was instituted in the middle of 619 P.C., a few days after the aptly-named Burning of Ylisse. The Alliance is governed by a council made of representatives of numerous governments from multiple communities. There are currently thirteen members of the council, all of varying ranks, spanning from king/queens of their nations or the leader of a branch of elite soldiers.” _

“Whoa...” Yukio finally said.

“Whoa is right,” Yuuki agreed. “This is the alliance that decided the fate of Andal Brask. I took all of this from a rather large essay of the Alliance and shortened it to these main points.”

All of this talk...the Alliance, the Burning of Ylisse, the Last City...it made Shido’s head hurt. It felt like they had just been thrown into some sort of sci-fi fantasy novel, and they were forced to try and decipher the lore to understand the events in the text.

What was all of this? And how come that up until this point, up until the moment they stepped into Monolith Valley, that such things weren’t known to Shido?

**The Alliance was added to your Truth Bullets.**

“Next is this email.” Yuuki clicked on a different tab. “The author being a Libra von Brigheld.”

The tab showed what seemed to be a copy of an email. It didn’t look like it had much to it, and it was written in a formal manner. It looked like an email you would send to a superior on business measures.

_ “Dear Alliance Council, _

_ On August 29th, Andal Brask was admitted to the infirmary by Asher Mir and Beleen Baker. A quick diagnose stated that he had been poisoned by some measure. Even more, a few hours after he was admitted, an unknown person broke into the infirmary and attempted to kill him. This unknown person had no identifying features on their body, and fled as soon as we entered to stop them, so I am afraid a physical description is out of the question. I hope you can bring this up in your next meeting and develop any actions to prevent this event from happening again. _

_ Thank you, _

_ Libra von Brigheld” _

“Yo, Andal Brask?!” Yukio was the first to speak again. “The killer of Takumi Himura and Dynamo?!”

“This took place in late August,” Hiroko realized. “The Tangled Shore murders were in January. Did this take place after the murders?”

“The report field did say that Andal was sentenced to indefinite lockdown, not death row,” Akihiko pointed out. “It shouldn’t really be a surprise that his name appears in anything after the murders.”

“Not only that...If this was written in 620 P.C., this was a little over ten days after Andal’s trial, remember?” Yuuki continued. “It took place on August 17th.”

“So somebody attempted to kill him?” Daiki questioned. “But why?”

“Save your questions,” Yuuki replied. “We still have two more files to review.”

The questions in Shido’s brain began to get more frantic. Who attempted to kill Andal Brask? Why was it important enough that the Yakuza had a copy of the email? Not only that, but how did he have it?

**Libra von Brigheld’s Email was added to your Truth Bullets.**

“Next is another email. This one actually answers a few questions from Libra’s writing.”

Yuuki opened the third tab, and another email copy appeared on the screen. This one had no sender, but Shido hitched a breath at the recipient: Adam Wyrick. The ghost writer of Andal Brask’s trial. The email itself was short, and almost vague in manner.

_ “Adam. _

_ I know it was you. You tried to kill Andal. I want to know why. Meet me in the back of the Tower’s alleyways at night. And if you do not come, I’ll leak your little secret to the council.” _

There was no sender. No closure to the email. But there was a heavy, worried feeling now culminating in Shido’s chest from this.

“This Adam guy...was the unidentified guy in Libra’s email?” Akihiko asked.

“More importantly, who the hell wrote this email?” Yukio questioned. “Some sort of whistleblower wannabe?”

“There isn’t even a date on this email,” Yuuki commented. “I don’t think the Yakuza himself knows our whistleblower here. But we can’t keep chatting like this. We can sort out our information in the class trial.”

Yuuki seemed to be hurrying them along...as if the final file was the most important, and that no time can be wasted in seeing it...

**Email to Adam Wyrick was added to your Truth Bullets.**

“Now we get to the most interesting piece of evidence I found. An old camera feed, from over half a year back.”

Yukio frowned. “Eh...why’s the date of it important?”

“If you would watch it with me, you would understand. And pay attention to the physical features of the person in the camera feed, would you?” Yuuki clicked the fourth and final tab.

The camera feed opened up on a hallway in the middle of the night. None of the lights were on, casting a grainy effect on the camera. The only source of light in the feed was a blue light coming from a single open door.

Then, a figure began walking down the hall, their back to the camera. Long hair in a ponytail went down their back, which was clothed in complete black. In their hand was a cigarette, which they seemed to be smoking as they passed by.

Suddenly, they stopped. Their head turned to look at the open door, revealing two scars, one at the edge of their mouth, and one on their cheek. They acted as if they had just suddenly heard something.

They suddenly pressed against the wall next to the door, leaning to peek into the room. Whatever they had heard, it seemed they didn’t want the people inside of the room to know they were listening.

After about ten seconds of this, the person suddenly looked alert. They quickly began doubling back, returning to smoking their cigarette. It seemed that they wanted to act as casual as possible without raising any sort of suspicion.

With that, the video was over. The segment of the camera feed was finished, and Yuuki closed the tab. Everything that he discovered had now been reviewed by all down in the bunker.

“Well?” Yuuki asked.

Daiki blinked. “Well, what?”

“Who was the person in the feed? I told you to pay attention to the date and physical appearance.”

Shido frowned, beginning to think. The camera feed was from the second of January, in 620 P.C. The person had long, silvery-looking hair, and two scars on the left side of their face.

“Takumi Himura!” Shido suddenly realized. “That was Takumi Himura, right?”

“But ain’t he dead?” Yukio argued.

“No, Shido’s right,” Yuuki replied. “This camera feed was from the day just before the Tangled Shore murders on the third of January. Without a doubt, the person in the video was Takumi.”

Daiki frowned. “So what exactly...happened in the video?”

“Well, it was obvious Takumi saw something, right?” Hiroko pointed out. “Perhaps he saw something he was not supposed to.”

“Are you sayin’ what I think you’re sayin’?” Yukio questioned.

“Well...”

The conversation never finished. Everyone went quiet when Kyou jogged in. He looked a bit out of breath, as if he hurried down into the bunker.

“The announcement just played,” he quickly said. “Time to go.”

Yuuki nodded. “We finished in the nick of time, it seems. We can’t dawdle on conversations we will cover in the trial.”

It seemed that they had no choice but to debate the evidence during the trial. However, that just forced Shido to question the nature of the camera feed until then.

**Camera Feed: 1/02/620, 11:21 PM was added to your Truth Bullets.**

One by one, they began to go up the ladder, leaving the bunker behind. Shido went last, choosing to linger a bit longer in the area. He was looking around, as if not wanting to leave the underground room.

Daiki looked over his shoulder at him. “Shido?”

“Oh!” Shido looked. “S-Sorry. I was just...”

“Getting nervous?” Daiki chuckled a bit, coming back down. “Don’t worry. I bet we all are, too. I mean...this is an all or nothing bet. We’re going to die if we don’t pull this off.”

“You’re...making this worse,” Shido pointed out.

“S-Sorry!” Daiki grew flustered. “I’m, uh...not really good at the comforting kind of stuff.”

“Let’s just go and get the trial over with,” Shido only said in return.

“Yea. Right.”

Daiki began to go up the ladder. Shido hesitated to follow once more. This time, however, he was able to will past a nauseous feeling in his gut. With his hands on the rungs, he began to ascend.

However, he stopped abruptly at a creaking noise. As if a metal door was slowly being pushed open. He quickly looked over his shoulder, but none of the doors leading into the other rooms had moved at all.

“Shido?” Daiki called from above.

Right. There was no time to investigate. Shido began to quickly ascend to catch up with the others. He did his best to ignore the chilling feeling that somebody was staring straight at him from behind.

Once he got to the top, he saw nobody had lingered in the Yakuza’s room. Not even Daiki, who was only a few seconds before him. They must all have rushed to the bus. Embarrassed at the prospect of having held them up, Shido began to rush out after them.

Holding true to his worries, everybody else was already outside by the time Shido came out. The bus was there, running with no driver, as always.

“You’re last,” Yuuki commented. “And you took your time, too.”

“Had to wrap up something down there?” Akihiko questioned.

“N-No, just...trying to force myself past my crippling self-esteem issues and every cause of anxiety to the human body,” Shido replied.

“...That’s a bit odd.”

Hiroko frowned. “What is?”

“Shido’s stammer is back,” Yuuki pointed out. “It wasn’t there during the investigation, if any of you noticed. I wonder...”

“He probably just gets more confident during thriller dramas, then!” Kyou theorised.

“...Well, it isn’t important. Not now, anyways.”

“Cryptic as always, aren’t you?” Yukio commented.

The bus’s speakers piped up.  _ “Everything has a beginning and an end. A sunrise has a sunset. One ocean shore has another. Birth will always lead to death. An endless cycle of beginnings and ends. We had our prologue, now let’s write the epilogue! Please board so we can all proceed to the final class trial! Puhuhuhuhu!” _

Yuuki gave an eerie smile. “Well, you heard him. Everyone on board.”

Kyou gave a salute. “Yes, sir!”

“Shut up.”

“...Yes, sir.” The salute was lowered as Kyou lost his glee of the moment.

They had began with sixteen students. All with their own lives, their own stories. Now, nine of those stories were given a premature ending. Only seven exist in this very moment. Only seven Hope’s Peak Academy students were left within Monolith Valley’s grounds.

The bus felt so empty. Shido sat alone. In fact, everyone had an entire seat row to themselves. Kyou had tried to sit with Daiki, but he was shoved into the adjacent row with the latter’s boot. He got the message.

The bus began to move, and nobody spoke. Their expressions were set in stone. They either looked on with determination or something resembling remembrance of their fallen friends. The people who they were to avenge for today. The people who died with nothing but despair in their hearts.

Shido himself stared at the seat in front of him. For the dire situation everyone was in, he wasn’t thinking about anything in particular. His mind was void of thoughts, and his emotions have suddenly gave out on him, leading him to be unable to process anything that’s happened in an emotional manner. His body merely drew blanks on how to think about this.

If they were to fail this class trial, they would die. That was scary enough. But there is a greater fear than death-the fear of the unknown. There was no indication of what would happen if they succeed in the class trial. Would they leave this hellhole once and for all? Would they fall into the clutches of despair once more? Would life within the walls just...continue?

With these thoughts, it became a bit harder to concentrate on success. A clean answer of failure seemed to become much more desirable than a success shrouded in mystery.

Then the bus stopped, and Yuuki stood first. He said nothing. He didn’t even spare a glance to anybody else. He just hopped off the moment the bus doors creaked open.

From there, the other five began to get up as well. A few lingered, and Akihiko looked back in sorrow, as if he was going to miss riding in the interior of this bus. Eventually, however, Shido was alone once more.

He couldn’t stay forever. Slowly, he rose. The heavy feeling making his shoulders droop threatened to make him fall on the floor of the bus. He managed to step out of the vehicle, managing to not trip over his own feet.

The area was...blank. The ground was completely flat, nothing but dirt and pebbles. The forest, the building of Monolith Valley, was nowhere in sight. There wasn’t even a dirt road. All Shido could see was the cloudless blue sky all around them, and the class trial podiums before them.

Monokuma appeared. “I don’t think we need any pre-trial chitchats, do we?”

“Where...are we?” Daiki asked. “Where’s Monolith Valley?”

“We didn’t...drive long enough to be completely out of sight, right?” Akihiko continued.

“It’s like we...teleported!” Yukio exclaimed.

“So?” Monokuma remarked. “That changes nothing. We’re still standing in the climax of our wonderful killing game! Where we are doesn’t matter anymore! What matters is the present, the here and now, the this very moment! So let’s carry on...shall we, my students?”


	86. Chapter 6: Final Class Trial-1

**THE FINAL TRIAL, THE FINAL STAND, AND THE FINAL CONCLUSIONS...WHAT ARE THE DARKEST SECRETS OF MONOLITH VALLEY? AND HOW DOES IT ALL GO BACK TO A CLOSED CASE MURDER OF PEOPLE THAT WERE NEVER KNOWN?**

**Truth Bullets: 19/19**

**Tangled Shore Murders Report [Monokuma File #6]: The victims were Takumi Himura and the mercenary Dynamo. The murders took place on January 3rd, 620 P.C. The murders were committed by accomplices under the command of Andal Brask.**

**Andal Brask [Unknown Killer]: The mastermind of the Tangled Shore murders. He was found guilty on the charges of second-degree murder and participation in first-degree murder. He was put on trial and sentenced to indefinite lockdown by the Alliance.**

**Body Autopsies [Mental Reports]: Dynamo was physically beaten all over his body, and his soul was shattered, causing a cessation of existence. Takumi was also physically beaten, but had his tongue ripped out, and had a diagonally-slanted bullet wound through his chest, and bled out from the wounds.**

**Witnesses of Murder [Accomplices of Murder]: The only two present besides the killers were Cayde-6 and Cedar. Nobody else was known to be at the scene of the crime.**

**Cayde-6’s Account [Cayde-6’s Lie]: Cayde-6 sided against Andal in the trial. Has stated that Andal was most likely mentally disturbed after the murders, due to the case seeming to have been a premeditated murder. Cayde-6’s position during Takumi’s death was running to stop Andal, but failing to make it in time.**

**Cedar’s Account [Cedar’s Lie]: Cedar sided against Andal in the trial. Cedar stated that Andal and his accomplice shot at Takumi from directly behind him. Cedar’s position during Takumi’s murder was standing right in front of him as the bullet was fired.**

**Writing on File [Blank File]: On the file of the Tangled Shore Murders was Daiki’s handwriting declaring the case closed. Daiki has no legal authority to close a case, and he himself has no recollection of writing the note on the file.**

**Shido’s Vision [Yuuki’s Vision]: Shido had a strange auditory vision of him, Akihiko, and an unknown woman talking about Andal Brask. The woman referred to Andal Brask as her uncle. Both he and Akihiko sounded very distraught. Shido has no memory of having this conversation.**

**Uldren Sov Homicide Report [Takumi Himura Homicide Report]: The completed, non-redacted version of the report found in the file in Kohaku’s possession. It talks about the murder of Cayde-6 at the hands of Uldren Sov. The murder took place on September 4th, 618 P.C., more than a year before the Tangled Shore Murders. The file is considered to have outdated facts as of January 20th, 620 P.C. The killer has been officially pardoned of the crime.**

**Weil Family Photo [Himura Family Photo]: A family photo of the Ultimate Counselors, Nagito Weil, and two unidentifiable people. They seem to be a very loving family unit.**

**Insurrection’s Abyss [Hope’s Peak Faculty]: A mysterious terrorist organization that plots to end the killing game within Monolith Valley.**

**Soulcraft E. #78: [REDACTED] [Soulcraft E. #1]: Two entities within the same body. A body had two entities placed within it. The second, artificial entity was to duplicate the original entity’s personality and mannerisms so it would be impossible to know which entity was in control. The first entity would not remember any actions done by the second entity.**

**Missing Persons Announcement Transcript [Found Persons Announcement Transcript]: An announcement within the Alliance by a Commander Zavala. It highlights that sixteen Alliance members of varying ranks have vanished over the past two months, starting with two named Rowan Vasiliev and Gabriel. Akihiko seemed to have a negative reaction to something on the paper.**

**The NMMA [The AMMN]: The NMMA, or ‘Neural Memory Mapping Animation’, is a simulator that can hold up to sixteen people, and places their consciousnesses in a virtual reality. Their avatars are based on their desires of what they want to be. The experiment around the NMMA was never completed.**

**Hatch in Bunker [Door in Bunker]: A hatch with no visible way of opening it was found in the middle room of the bunker. The room below it is extremely small in perimeter, so it is unknown what was down there.**

**The Alliance [The Confederation]: “The Alliance is a democratic confederation government that has replaced the power of the theocracy in the Last City. This shift of power was instituted in the middle of 619 P.C., a few days after the aptly-named Burning of Ylisse. The Alliance is governed by a council made of representatives of numerous governments from multiple communities. There are currently thirteen members of the council, all of varying ranks, spanning from king/queens of their nations or the leader of a branch of elite soldiers.”**

**Libra von Brigheld’s Email [von Brigheld’s Letter]: “Dear Alliance Council, On August 29th, Andal Brask was admitted to the infirmary by Asher Mir and Beleen Baker. A quick diagnose stated that he had been poisoned by some measure. Even more, a few hours after he was admitted, an unknown person broke into the infirmary and attempted to kill him. This unknown person had no identifying features on their body, and fled as soon as we entered to stop them, so I am afraid a physical description is out of the question. I hope you can bring this up in your next meeting and develop any actions to prevent this event from happening again. Thank you, Libra von Brigheld”**

**Email to Adam Wyrick [Letter to Wyrick]: “Adam. I know it was you. You tried to kill Andal. I want to know why. Meet me in the back of the Tower’s alleyways at night. And if you do not come, I’ll leak your little secret to the council.”**

**Camera Feed: 1/02/620, 11:21 PM [Camera Feed: 9/04/618, 11:21 PM]: A figure with a physical description that matches Takumi Himura seems to spy on something within a well-lit room. After about twenty seconds, he leaves, seeming to pretend that he saw nothing.**

**Monokuma: ** Before we begin, I’ll like to clarify that this class trial has special rules applied to it, due to how unique it is. If you get to figure out the darkest mysteries of Monolith Valley, then you all get to leave! But get a single, eensy beensy thing wrong...and whoops! It’s off to the chopping block for all of ya!

**Akihiko: ** Gyeep! That’s not a pretty thought!

**Monokuma: ** So chop chop! Your lives depend on it!

**Yukio: ** But what if you lose? What will happen then?

**Monokuma: ** Hmm...A very good question. I guess that...I’ll execute myself, instead! I would be the loser, after all!

**Yuuki: ** And you swear on that? No going back on your word later?

**Monokuma: ** You can bet on a bear’s word! Don’t be so unfaithful!

**Hiroko: ** It would be nice if we have a starting point...

**Kyou: ** Hiroko is right. This is a very complicated case of the matter.

**Yuuki: ** Alright, then. Let’s establish the background of our story. First of all, let’s make absolutely clear we all understand the beginning of the Tangled Shore Murders.

**Daiki: ** The beginning...what do you mean by that?

**Yuuki: ** I’m talking about the motive, of course. The incentive to kill Takumi Himura and Dynamo.

**Akihiko: ** There was a motive? But how can you tell? Something like that was never written down on any of the reports.

**Yuuki: ** Well, if it was a non-planned murder, something would have gone differently during the event. Instead, it happened the way it did. If this was something that wasn’t planned for, what would have changed?

** _Shido: _ ** _ If the murder wasn’t a premeditated case, with a motive and a course of action...what would have been different? _

**>>All four present would’ve died**

All three present would’ve died

Nothing would have changed

** _Shido: _ ** _ I got it! _

**Shido: ** If the murder didn’t have a motive, the killers wouldn’t have exactly been picky with their targets, right? Four people were present in the mission that went wrong, and two survived. If the murder was going purely on impulse, wouldn’t all four have been attacked and killed? It’s fairly obvious that the killers had targets. Otherwise, they most likely would have gone on the basis of ‘no witnesses left to tell the tale’.

**Akihiko: ** That’s fair reasoning, but...it isn’t exactly solid. Maybe they were just acting on a time limit, so they were rushing.

**Kyou: ** They weren’t on a time limit at all. I can defend Shido’s reasoning.

**Yukio: ** Oh, yea? With what, traitor?

**Kyou: ** Unlike everyone else here, I read the whole transcript of Andal Brask’s trial. You know, the mastermind of the murders?

**Daiki: ** What?! Where was that?!

**Kyou: ** In the left room in the bunker, where the computer was. In fact, I was finishing my reading of it when Yuuki asked me to go up to the surface to listen for the class trial announcement.

**Yuuki: ** It’s true. He was reading it. I don’t think he has any reason to lie about its contents, either.

**Hiroko: ** So what was it? What happened?

**Kyou: ** The group of four spilt up into groups of two. Dynamo was in one, and Takumi was in the other. Dynamo’s group went out to investigate some sort of matter within the Tangled Shore. That’s where they were ambushed, and Dynamo was killed. Another one of the four killers went to the second group, dropped off the other group member, who was unconscious, which told the second witness Dynamo was in danger. This caused them to run off and leave Takumi alone. Once they saw Dynamo was dead, they came back to confirm Takumi and the other witnesses’ safety. Then, they were attacked, and the ensuing fight was how Takumi was killed. I think you can understand what I’m getting at here, correct?

**Daiki: ** A murder like that...it has a lot of steps to it, doesn’t it?

**Akihiko: ** Something like that must have been planned for in advance. So it couldn’t have been an impulsive murder.

**Yuuki: ** Now you all see? A situation like this must mean the killers had a target and a plan. They didn’t care for witnesses. They cared for elimination.

**Yukio: ** So from the very start, it was planned that Takumi and Dynamo would die...but what for?

**Yuuki: ** That is my point of discussion. Why was it those two? What did they do that warranted their deaths? What was the motive of the Tangled Shore Murders?

_ State your case! _

**Truth Bullets:**

**Tangled Shore Murders Report [Monokuma File #6]**

**Andal Brask [Unknown Killer]**

**Body Autopsies [Mental Reports]**

**Camera Feed: 1/02/620, 11:21 PM [Camera Feed: 9/04/618, 11:21 PM]**

**Witnesses of Murder [Accomplices of Murder]**

**Yuuki: ** To discover why the murder case is  **related to** Monolith Valley...

**Yuuki: ** We must discover the motive of it all.

**Yuuki: ** Why were Dynamo and Takumi killed?

**Daiki: ** But how can we figure that out?

**Daiki: We know nothing about them!**

**Hiroko: ** He’s right. They’re complete strangers to us.

**Yukio: ** Maybe the Tangled Shore case  **isn’t related at all?**

**Akihiko: ** No, it probably is...

**Akihiko: ** We just don’t have  **any current indication** of a motive...

**Akihiko: ** And what Takumi or Dynamo did.

** _Shido: _ ** _ Takumi or Dynamo did something that caused them to be eliminated by the group of killers...but what was it? Do we have any proof that something happened to set in motion the murders? _

**any current indication ** \-  **Camera Feed: 1/02/620, 11:21 PM**

** _Shido: _ ** _ No, that’s wrong! _

_ Break!! _

**Shido: ** The camera feed that all of us saw could be an indication to what happened, actually.

**Kyou: ** What camera feed?

**Shido: ** All of us except Kyou, I guess.

**Hiroko: ** You mean the one that had somebody who matched the physical description of Takumi Himura in it, correct?

**Shido: ** Not only that, it took place exactly one day before the murders happened. In it, the person seemed to peek into a lighted room, and seemed to see something. After a bit of watching, they left and apparently pretended they never saw anything.

**Daiki: ** And that is related to the motive of murder?

**Shido: ** It may not be the best guess out there, but...what if Takumi Himura saw something he was not supposed to see? And in order to keep him quiet, he was lured out and killed?

**Daiki: ** Huh...Then that would explain it.

**Akihiko: ** Eh? What would?

**Daiki: ** Do you all remember when we read through the murder report file together? I noticed something strange with one of the witness accounts that threw me for a loop at first. But hearing that Takumi was lured out and killed, I think that would explain why.

**Yukio: ** Well, then? What did you read?

**Daiki: ** According to the second witness, Cedar…”Takumi was like a son to him, and Dynamo an even closer companion in life.” Could they have been a family?

**Hiroko: ** Well, I guess, but...what does that explain?

**Yuuki: ** Ah! I think I understand!

**Shido: ** Yuuki? What is it?

**Yuuki: ** If the murder was planned, and they wanted to kill Takumi, they would need a way to lure him out. What else than to place family in a threatening situation to convince somebody to come along in case of an emergency?

**Yukio: ** So even if he knew it could be a trap, he had to come anyways, in case he had to protect his family...Man, it sounds like he was a really nice guy.

**Akihiko: ** It also makes you wonder what exactly he saw...What could have been so important that someone had to be killed to keep it a secret?

**Kyou: ** Hold! Then why did Dynamo perish? Certainly he didn’t know the same thing that Takumi did, right? The camera feed was from the previous day at nighttime, so there was probably no time to tell Dynamo.

**Yuuki: ** In my personal opinion...I believe Dynamo was eliminated due to him being an obstacle in their plan.

**Daiki: ** He was removed...simply because he was there?

**Yuuki: ** I’m not sure whether it was because of his skill set or if he knew anything, but Dynamo was most likely considered a liability. An obstacle in their plans. He was removed because if he wasn’t, he most likely would have interfered in their plan to kill Takumi Himura.

**Shido: ** It’s obvious that they planned the whole murder’s unfolding, and manipulated all of the events. Since they separated Dynamo and Takumi, then killed them, it could be entirely possible that one could have had the skills to save the other, and would therefore ruin the whole plan.

**Akihiko: ** Taking into account that they were part of the same family...it would make sense. They could have the skills needed to back each other up in particularly precarious situations.

**Yuuki: ** Regardless of the reason why Dynamo was killed, it’s obvious that Takumi figured out something that warranted his death. It’s this thing that he figured out that I believe strings together Monolith Valley and the Tangled Shore Murders. The secret that he was killed over...our debate must lead to the conclusion of what it was!

**Kyou: ** Easier said than done...we have no evidence of what that was.

**Yuuki: ** I know. We shouldn’t linger on it and guess about the secret. Instead, let’s move on to a different part of the Tangled Shore Murders: what happened afterwards.

**Hiroko: ** The aftermath of the murders? That would be...the trial of Andal Brask, right?

**Akihiko: ** Kyou, you read the whole trial. What happened?

**Kyou: ** Well...it ended with Andal being found guilty on the accounts of second-degree murder and participation in first-degree murder. What do you want me to focus on?

**Yuuki: ** What was his sentence?

**Kyou: ** Huh? O-Oh yea! Life lockdown within a place called the Tower and prohibited from ever using firearms again.

**Yuuki: ** For a murder that caused the deaths of two people, do you all believe that was a fair sentence?

**Daiki: ** Honestly, no. It seems a bit lax.

**Yukio: ** Yea. Shouldn’t that guy get death row, you know?

**Akihiko: ** Maybe death row doesn’t exist in the Alliance government?

**Yuuki: ** Death row aside, with that, we should go to our next subject: the attempted murder of Andal Brask after his trial.

**Hiroko: ** And if we solve that, we could figure out what Takumi found out?

**Yuuki: ** I wouldn’t say that. I’m saying that it’s a good standpoint to know what happened, start to finish. With that in mind, it would be easier to understand the bigger picture.

** _Shido: _ ** _ Understanding the attempt on Andal’s life...if it constructs the bigger picture, we might be able to spot the thread easier. I think I can compile what we know already... _

**INNER MOTORWAY**

**Question 1: What initially put Andal in the infirmary?**

**>>Poisoning**

A physical injury

A routine checkup

**Question 2: Who was the one who attacked Andal?**

Libra von Brigheld

**>>Adam Wyrick**

Beleen Baker

**Question 3: Who threatened Adam Wyrick with this information?**

Asher Mir

Libra von Brigheld

**>>It’s unknown**

_ Complete! _

**Shido: ** Well, it initially started from another attempt on Andal’s life. He ended up in an infirmary within the Alliance due to being poisoned. Then, the person who attacked him tried again, only to be chased off. They narrowly escaped without being identified. However, it seems that somebody did identify them...as Adam Wyrick, the Alliance ghost writer!

**Kyou: ** What?! I-It was him that attacked Andal?!

**Yukio: ** But there’s no way! I ain’t seein’ any correlation between Andal and Adam!

**Yuuki: ** Well, that’s why I just asked you if you all thought that Andal got off easy when it came to his sentence. Of course, it was a unanimous yes for an answer. We all agree that Andal’s punishment should have been more severe, correct?

**Akihiko: ** Damn right! But what does this have to do with Adam Wyrick?

**Yuuki: ** What if he felt the same way? We’re just grasping at straws, as we have no evidence that can point to any sort of motivation. But for now, can’t we say that Adam Wyrick could have felt that Andal deserved death? Perhaps he was just acting on raw emotion, since his assassination attempts were rather clumsy.

**Yukio: ** I-I mean, yea! Who fucks up an assassination twice in the same day?! After the first botch, you oughta give up!

**Daiki: ** The assassination of Duke Ferdinand would like to speak up...

**Yuuki: ** Regardless, based on the information we know, the assassin wannabe was Adam Wyrick, who just happened to already be a person of interest in this class trial, thanks to Kyou.

**Kyou: ** W-Well...it was just a funny feeling that I’ve seen him before...

**Hiroko: ** Kyou aside...then what happened?

**Shido: ** Well...that’s where the whole story of the Tangled Shore murders ends. With that last piece of evidence...

**Tangled Shore Murders Report**

**Andal Brask**

**Body Autopsies**

**Witnesses of Murder**

**Cayde-6’s Account**

**Cedar’s Account**

**Writing on File**

**Shido’s Vision**

**Uldren Sov Homicide Report**

**Weil Family Photo**

**Insurrection’s Abyss**

**Soulcraft E. #78: [REDACTED]**

**Missing Persons Announcement Transcript**

**The NMMA**

**Hatch in Bunker**

**The Alliance **

**Libra von Brigheld’s Email**

**>>Email to Adam Wyrick**

**Camera Feed: 1/02/620, 11:21 PM**

**Shido: ** It was a rather threatening email, addressed to Adam. It told him to meet the sender at the back of the alleyways in the Tower, the Alliance headquarters, or the fact that he was the mysterious attacker would be leaked to the government. Identifying the sender is impossible, since there’s no name or address linked to who wrote the email.

**Akihiko: ** Wait, but...that’s it?

**Shido: ** Yea...that’s everything related to the Tangled Shore murders that we found.

**Hiroko: ** But that was already discovered by people before us! All we did was clarify some snarls in the story.

**Daiki: ** Damn...we can’t seem to find a single tidbit of anything related to Monolith Valley!

**Shido: ** H-Hey, I’m sure Yuuki had a goal in mind. Right, Yuuki?

**Yuuki: ** ......

**Shido: ** Y-Yuuki?

** _Shido: _ ** _ He looks stressed out. Did he really not plan this far? _

**Yuuki: ** I thought that something would become clear to me once we talked through the entire story, from the beginning to the aftermath...but my mind is drawing a blank. I can’t figure out how the Tangled Shore and Monolith Valley are related...

** _Shido: _ ** _ No! Please don’t say that! It makes it sound like you’re giving up! _

**Monokuma: ** Well, well, well! Where has your bravado gone, Ultimate Clone? Have you realized how hopeless your situation is?

**Yuuki: ** Gh...!

** _Shido: _ ** _ No, please...there must be something that we missed...anything at all...! If anything, I need to buy more time for Yuuki! _

**Shido: ** Hey...M-Monokuma.

**Monokuma: ** Hmmmmm? Filling in for your comrade, are you? Well, whatever it is, fire away! I’m aaaaaall ears!

**Shido: ** ......Are you sure...are you absolutely sure...

**Monokuma: ** Sure? Sure on what?

**Shido: ** Are you sure...that you wrapped up all of your loose ends?

**Monokuma: ** Huh? Speak up! You’re muttering!

**Shido: ** Well...

** _Shido: _ ** _ Dammit, why am I freezing up now?! Why can’t I think of anything! I have the evidence, so why can’t I piece it together to...! _

**Shido: ** Ah!

**Monokuma: ** Don’t “ah” me, Shido Norihisa! What is it that you want to ask me?!

**Shido: ** Oh...I’m just making sure that you were efficient enough in covering up your tracks.

**Yuuki: ** Shido, what are you going at?

**Shido: ** Monokuma, are you absolutely sure that you executed the Yakuza properly?


	87. Chapter 6: Final Class Trial-2

**Monokuma: ** ......

**Hiroko: ** He’s...stopped talking.

**Yukio: ** Forget about that! What the hell is Shido sayin’?!

**Akihiko: ** Yea, what hyper sprinkles did he take pre-trial?! Of course the Yakuza’s dead!

**Monokuma: ** Yea! You heard your classmates! You dare accuse your honest headmaster of having leniency with the rules of execution?!

**Shido: ** I’m not saying you were lenient. I’m saying that it was probably in your best interests to make sure he didn’t cheat death.

**Monokuma: ** What are you talking about?! He could never!

** _Shido: _ ** _ I have a basis to my proposition. I didn’t just throw that out there to give Yuuki more time. Monokuma made a mistake when it came to the Yakuza’s execution... _

There was no blood

**>>There was no body**

There were no Monocoins

**Shido: ** And you say that so confidently, even though there was no body left in the end?

**Monokuma: ** Eh? What do you mean by that?

**Shido: ** You finished off the Yakuza by dropping him into a pit of flames, correct? Even though they’re hot and all, a fire would never immediately incinerate a body, bones and all. There would have been some burnt remains left besides a mere pile of ash, like a charred corpse and clothing scraps!

**Daiki: ** A-And to an extent, all of the other counselors never left bodies behind, too!

** _Shido: _ ** _ Huh...Actually, Daiki’s right. The Yakuza, apparently immolated into nothing...the Princess, evaporated by acid...the Athlete, consumed by a minefield of explosions...the Mechanic, crushed flat with no remains whatsoever...and even Hope, apparently executed behind the scenes! Not a single one left their bodies behind! _

**Monokuma: ** Grr...So what? Their death circumstances would have made sure no bodies would be left behind!

**Shido: ** The Yakuza and the Athlete, I’ll understand. I’ll even suspend my disbelief for the Mechanic having no remains. But the Princess? She fell into the same acid that merely burned and mangled Haruki. If he left behind some remains, the Princess would have, too!

**Monokuma: ** Well excuuuuuuse me, prince! I don’t make up the rules of acid destroying a body! I can confirm for one hundred percent that every single counselor you know and love is deader than a doorknob!

**Shido: ** You know, I’m seriously in doubt over here, Monokuma.

**Monokuma: ** Grrr...Fine, then! If you’re sooo hooked up on the Yakuza literally cheating death, then tell me: where is he now? Did he leave you all to suffer and rot? Or is he skulking like a rat in the shadows? Answer me that!

** _Shido: _ ** _ Monokuma actually...seems stressed. I had no idea something like this would get under his skin. But that means I’m pressing the exact right buttons to give Yuuki an opportunity. I just need to press him further, and blow his refusal wide open! _

** _Reasoning Retaliation Start!_ **

** _Phase 1:_ **

** _A refuge in audacity!_ **

** _A far cry from reality!_ **

** _That is this truth you are pressing!_ **

** _There is no way the Yakuza lives!_ **

** _I saw to his death myself!_ **

** _Phase 2:_ **

** _You don’t give up easy, do you?_ **

** _Puhuhuhuhuhu..._ **

** _Enough! Enough already!_ **

** _The Yakuza’s just some ash now!_ **

** _Why would you ever believe he’s still alive?!_ **

** _Phase 3:_ **

** _You’re still pressing on?!_ **

** _My answer remains the same!_ **

** _The Yakuza is straight-up dead!_ **

** _Burned to a crisp! Scattered to the wind!_ **

** _He’s now nothing but the dirt we walk on!_ **

** _Well, then?! Where is he?! Where’s your precious hero of hope at this very moment if he still takes breath!_ **

**SEALED**

**HATCH**

**IN**

**BUNKER**

** _BASTAAAAAAAARD!_ **

_ Break!! _

**Shido: ** Yukio provided me the answer to this question. What he found proves that the Yakuza can still be in the summer school, just not be detected!

**Yukio: ** Huh? O-Oh, you mean the hatch in the bunker? I forgot all about that, honestly...

**Shido: ** Within the Yakuza’s hidden bunker, there were four rooms: a main room, and the other three rooms connected by the west, north, and east walls. We all investigated the west and east rooms, or the left and right rooms. This just left Yukio to investigate the north, middle room. In it, he found a sealed hatch with no visible way of opening it.

**Monokuma: ** What?! The Yakuza has no bunker hidden anywhere! That was not constructed within Monolith Valley!

**Akihiko: ** Ha! So we were undetected in the bunker!

**Hiroko: ** And since Monokuma cannot see into the bunker, therefore not being able to monitor whoever is inside, whoever is in the bunker and the actions made within it are completely obscured from his view.

**Daiki: ** The Yakuza must have been there the entire killing game, then! And he just hid inside of the hatch’s compartment once we entered!

**Shido: ** Then that would explain it...I was in last for returning to the Yakuza’s room from the bunker, and as I was climbing up, I could have sworn I heard something like metal creaking. I also got the unnerving feeling that I was being watched from behind.

**Kyou: ** That must have been the Yakuza emerging from hiding then, having waited until we left!

**Monokuma: ** ......

**Yuuki: ** Ha...I didn’t even realize I had tensed up so much. Shido, I believe I owe you a big favor. You came into play at just the right time.

**Monokuma: ** Nope. He didn’t.

**Yukio: ** Huh?

**Monokuma: ** You want to know why? Because everything Shido Norihisa just said...was complete bogus! It’s all a complete sham! It’s horseradish! It’s-!

**????????:** It’s bullshittery, horsecock, fuckery, a big sack of shitty lies. That’s what you’re getting at, right?

**Akihiko: ** !!

**Yukio: ** Huh?!

**Daiki: ** What...?!

**Hiroko: ** By the gods!

**Kyou: ** Who’s there?! Who said that?!

**Yuuki: ** I believe we already know...

**Shido: ** I was wondering if you would arrive soon, to be honest.

_ On a brand new podium, none other than the Yakuza stands. However, one of his eyes has wrapped bandages over it. _

**Yakuza: ** Sorry for the late intrusion. Hope I came just in time for the real shit to go down.

**Akihiko: ** Yakuza! Your eye...!

**Yakuza: ** Don’t worry, it still works. It’s just really fucked up. Wouldn’t want you all to get distracted in a really intense moment.

**Monokuma: ** What-You-I don’t-?!

**Yakuza: ** Surprised? Don’t worry about it. I just had some help from a family friend: nothing more, and nothing less.

**Monokuma: ** That’s not the point! You should be dead! You murdered, so you became the blackened! You’re supposed to have been executed!

**Yakuza: ** Hm. Guess I wasn’t now, huh? Hope that isn’t a problem.

**Hiroko: ** Y...Yakuza...you are alive!

**Yakuza: ** In the flesh, or whatever. And please. No formality shit. It’s Fuyuhiko Weil, Former Ultimate Yakuza.

**Shido: ** Weil? So you are...

**Tangled Shore Murders Report**

**Andal Brask**

**Body Autopsies**

**Witnesses of Murder**

**Cayde-6’s Account**

**Cedar’s Account**

**Writing on File**

**Shido’s Vision**

**Uldren Sov Homicide Report**

**>>Weil Family Photo**

**Insurrection’s Abyss**

**Soulcraft E. #78: [REDACTED]**

**Missing Persons Announcement Transcript**

**The NMMA**

**Hatch in Bunker**

**The Alliance **

**Libra von Brigheld’s Email**

**Email to Adam Wyrick**

**Camera Feed: 1/02/620, 11:21 PM**

** _Shido: _ ** _ I got it! _

**Shido: ** Then the picture on your computer’s desktop was your family, right? The Weil family.

**Fuyuhiko: ** Oh, yea. That picture. Yea, I remember the day we took it. Those were some great times in my life.

**Akihiko: ** Um...Are they okay? Your siblings, I mean.

**Fuyuhiko: ** Huh? Oh, yea. Right as rain. I forgot that you guys saw them get executed. Don’t worry. They’re all safe and sound back at my father’s place.

**Yuuki: ** Your father...that was the old man in the photo, right?

**Fuyuhiko: ** Yup. Doctor Isaac Weil. Renowned pioneer in the arts of cybernetic technology, and the creator of the brand-new Cyber Elves.

**Kyou: ** What? Cyber Elves? I’ve never heard of such a thing.

**Fuyuhiko: ** Of course ya fucking wouldn’t...

**Monokuma: ** Yakuza! This is-!

**Fuyuhiko: ** Shut the fuck up.

_ Fuyuhiko raises his hand, and it suddenly sparks green. Monokuma suddenly seems to have a green glitching effect. _

**Monokuma: ** Wh-Wh-What-No-can’t-can’t-can’t...

**Yukio: ** What...the FUUUUUUCK?!

**Fuyuhiko: ** There. That should keep him quiet so we can talk to each other.

**Yuuki: ** Wh...What...

**Hiroko: ** Th-That is...!

**Fuyuhiko: ** Ah, shit. Forgot you guys didn’t know. Spending a couple of weeks underground figuring out every last secret can do that to you.

**Shido: ** U-Um...maybe you can...start by explaining what that was?

**Fuyuhiko: ** Aw, it was nothing. I just used some new tricks up my sleeve to manipulate Monokuma’s coding. I’ve been learning how to use this shit properly. Heh, that Shadow King probably is scrambling right now.

**Shido: ** I...huh?

**Fuyuhiko: ** I’ll start simple. This is not the real world. Everything in it...fabricated. This is an advanced virtual reality called the NMMA. Remember that?

** _Shido: _ ** _ The...NMMA...right, I remember a file of it in the Yakuza’s bunker. It was an acronym, standing for... _

Neural Mindwave Motor Animation

**>>Neural Memory Mapping Animation**

Next-Level Memory Motor Animation

** _Shido: _ ** _ I got it! _

**Shido: ** Yea. Neural Memory Mapping Animation. Daiki and I read a file about it in your bunker.

**Fuyuhiko:** Yea. Remember the capacity of it?

**Daiki: ** ...Sixteen people. The same amount of students we started with.

**Akihiko: ** Wait, are you...suggesting that...

**Fuyuhiko: ** This is taking place in the virtual realm. While on the outside, your bodies are in a comatose state, your minds are in the form of active avatars within this simulation.

**Hiroko: ** W...Wait...please don’t tell me that...

**Fuyuhiko: ** I’m sorry, but Monolith Valley Summer School was never a real place. The program never was a thing. It was all a lie to fabricate a story you all would be satisfied with.

**Shido: ** ......

**Yuuki: ** Wh...What...

**Daiki: ** Nothing...was real? The school program...this location...

**Fuyuhiko: ** Well, why else would you guys not remember the trip here? You didn’t travel here. You were just spawned in the bus to be dropped off into this game.

**Akihiko: ** Then...were you really from Hope’s Peak?

**Fuyuhiko: ** Nah. Hope’s Peak doesn’t exist anymore. It’s just a distant memory of what the NMMA used to be. I’m more of an admin in this simulation. I’m one of those Cyber Elves I mentioned. All of my siblings are. We all were created from the leftover data of the old machine that came out to be the NMMA.

**Shido: ** Fuyuhiko...what year is it?

**Fuyuhiko: ** October 20th, 620 P.C. We don’t use the A.D. that you know here.

**Yukio: ** You aren’t a real person?

**Fuyuhiko: ** Hey, I’m real as can fucking be. I’m just simply made of data, while you guys have bodies in the physical world. Something that makes me a bit jealous.

**Daiki: ** I...I can’t...

**Fuyuhiko: ** Don’t go into an existential crisis, fucker!

**Daiki: ** Well, what else can I do?! You just told us that Hope’s Peak never existed! That the summer school program was always meant to be a killing game in disguise! You’re implying that everything we’ve ever known was a lie!

**Fuyuhiko: ** Hey, calm down. We still have a goal in mind.

**Yukio: ** Huh? A-A goal?

**Fuyuhiko: ** To expose the mastermind and solve the mysteries of this killing game, of course. Save your mental breakdowns for later. So, uh, where was your discussion?

**Yuuki: ** You mean...before the subject went to you? We were talking about the Tangled Shore Murders. But we couldn’t come to a conclusion how it was connected to all of this...

**Fuyuhiko: ** Alright, let’s go back to that. That’s a good starting point.

**Akihiko: ** But we already talked about it...we can’t find any connections.

**Fuyuhiko: ** Hmm...A single snarl is in the entire case. It’s hard to see, but once it’s visible, it blows this shit to kingdom come. Though it’s obvious that you guys would take 2 miles an hour to process it. Try focusing on Takumi’s death, and its circumstances. Pay close attention to the accounts of both witnesses.

** _Shido: _ ** _ Both witnesses...that would be Cayde-6 and Cedar. Is Fuyuhiko saying to focus on what was happening around Takumi during his murder? _

_ State your case! _

**Truth Bullets:**

**Andal Brask [Unknown Killer]**

**Body Autopsies [Mental Reports]**

**Witnesses of Murder [Accomplices of Murder]**

**Cayde-6’s Account [Cayde-6’s Lie]**

**Cedar’s Account [Cedar’s Lie]**

**Yukio: ** Focusin’ on the accounts of the witnesses, eh?

**Yukio: ** Maybe we should start with Cayde-6’s?

**Hiroko: ** He was  **running to stop** Andal from shooting Takumi, correct?

**Akihiko:** And then Cedar  **was with Takumi** at the same time.

**Kyou: ** Their accounts seem to correlate!

**Kyou: ** Cayde-6 was coming in  **from the side...**

**Daiki: ** While the murderer of Takumi was standing  **directly behind him.**

**Daiki: ** Thanks to Cedar’s account, we know that.

**Hiroko: ** So what is the snarl that Fuyuhiko is pointing out?

**Fuyuhiko: ** Well, he just fucking said it, actually.

**Fuyuhiko: ** I mean, you did hear it, right, Shido?

** _Shido: _ ** _ The small discrepancy comes from the accounts of what happened? Or is the vital information that exposes it come from one of them? Whatever it is, I feel I should remember something beyond the accounts... _

**directly behind him.** \-  **Body Autopsies**

** _Shido: _ ** _ No, that’s wrong! _

_ Break!! _

**Shido: ** Recalling the positions of both of the witnesses...Cedar was standing directly in front of Takumi when he got shot, correct?

**Daiki: ** Yea, so he got a view of the killer directly behind Takumi.

**Shido: ** No. The killer couldn’t possibly have been standing behind Takumi when he shot. According to the body autopsies, the bullet wound in Takumi’s chest went through his body in a diagonal direction, not a straight line.

**Yuuki: ** So when Cedar saw Andal standing behind Takumi, gun at the ready, he had assumed he was the one who fired. But in actuality, whoever shot him was not possibly the one who stood behind him. That is what you were trying to point out, right, Fuyuhiko?

**Fuyuhiko: ** Yea...it’s really easy to miss at first. But once you see it, it’s impossible to ignore.

**Akihiko: ** Wait, then...does that mean Andal’s criminal charges were incorrect?

**Fuyuhiko: ** Andal Brask is an innocent man manipulated to believe he did the crime. He wasn’t the mastermind. He was the scapegoat.

**Hiroko: ** To believe you did a crime, but you are as innocent as any other witness...what a horrible thing.

**Kyou: ** But then who did shoot Takumi? Who’s the killer?

**Fuyuhiko: ** You’re seriously asking that fucking question? You literally stated the answer out loud yourself!

**Kyou: ** I did...?

**Yukio: ** Bullshit! Don’t be cryptic and spill it!

**Fuyuhiko: ** Think about it for a damn minute. The bullet came from the side. Not directly behind. Who was coming in from the side?

** _Shido: _ ** _ Who was...approaching from the side...That’s easy but...is it true? Are THEY the real mastermind of the Tangled Shore Murders? _

Cedar

Andal Brask

**>>Cayde-6**

** _Shido: _ ** _ I got it! _

**Shido: ** You’re saying that the witness...Cayde-6...he’s the true mastermind?

**Fuyuhiko: ** I’m not just saying it, I’m fucking spelling it out for ya. Cayde-6 was the true culprit of the deaths of Takumi and Dynamo.

**Yukio: ** But there’s...little to no evidence supportin’ that theory!

**Fuyuhiko: ** It’s true it’s only one piece of evidence. That’s why I want to point out another strange thing about the witnesses. Let me put it this way: What is every innocent partaker in the event that Cayde was not?

** _Shido: _ ** _ He must be referring to the four that went on the mission in the first place. Thinking about qualities the four had...Cayde was the only one that- _

** _Yukio: _ ** _ Don’t listen to that guy! _

**Yukio: ** Shido, we don’t have any reason of trustin’ this Fuyuhiko guy! He could be feeding us false information!

**Shido: ** Yukio, what’s wrong with you? You seem really aggressive in shooting down this theory.

**Yukio: ** I’ll tell you fuckin’ what! Andal Brask is the only culprit! There’s no way that you can just believe a man with no validity to his words!

** _Rebuttal Showdown Start!_ **

**Truth Knives:**

**Cedar’s Account**

**Cayde-6’s Account**

**Tangled Shore Murder Reports**

**Witnesses of Murder**

**Andal Brask**

**Yukio: ** We shouldn’t believe Fuyuhiko Weil blindly.

**Yukio: ** Aren’t we forgettin’ that  **he killed a friend and classmate?**

**Yukio: ** And now you’re trustin’ him without any proof to his words?!

**Yukio: ** Wow, some friend you are, Shido!

**Yukio: ** You seemed really eager to turn on us!

_ Advance! _

**Shido:** Whether we trust Fuyuhiko or not, you have to acknowledge that he’s right about the bullet trajectory.

**Shido: ** There is no way that it was Andal Brask and his accomplice who shot Takumi, since they were directly behind him.

**Yukio: ** Okay, yea. That’s true, I’ll admit.

**Yukio: ** But that doesn’t mean we just blame a witness!

**Yukio: ** It could have been  **somebody else on the scene!**

**Yukio: ** Cayde-6 was runnin’ to  **stop the murder!**

**Yukio: ** Don’t tarnish the name of an unsung hero!

** _Shido: _ ** _ Yukio may see that we’re jumping to conclusions. But the way he’s acting is really aggressive, all of a sudden...is he put on edge by the recent revelations like Daiki? _

**somebody else on the scene!** \-  **Witnesses of Murder**

** _Shido:_ ** _ I’ll cut your argument in half! _

_ Break!! _

**Shido: ** Nobody else could have fired the shot if it was from the side. That’s because nobody else was at the scene of the crime during its events.

**Yukio: ** H...Huh?

**Shido: ** According to the official report, only Andal, an accomplice, Cedar, Takumi, and Cayde-6 were at the scene once the murder took place. Cayde-6 was the only person off to the side. The other four were in visible sight of each other, in a line. If the bullet that killed Takumi was fired from a diagonal direction, it could have only come from Cayde-6!

**Yukio: ** But hold on! There were two more accomplices, right?! They could have just shot from hidin’, and neither of the witnesses saw them!

**Shido: ** That’s...true, but-

**Fuyuhiko: ** It’s entirely bullshit.

**Yukio: ** Who you callin’ out on bullshit! You defyin’ death is bullshit!

**Fuyuhiko: ** Ignoring him, I was just about to point out the clincher of Cayde-6 having been the true killer. It seemed you realized it, just before your classmate cut in.

** _Shido: _ ** _ I-I did...Cayde-6 was the only one who didn’t have this quality, and seeing that he’s now suspected of killing, this lack of a quality becomes much more glaring. Cayde-6 was the only person that wasn’t... _

A robot

**>>A family member**

A soldier

** _Shido: _ ** _ I got it! _

**Shido: ** Daiki himself pointed this out earlier in the trial. Takumi, Cedar, and Dynamo were all members of the same family. However, Cayde-6 has no relation to them whatsoever. It seems that he was just a family friend. At first, this seems to be just a minor quirk. But now, once you think about it again with doubt cast on his figure, you could begin to wonder.

**Akihiko: ** If Cayde-6 wasn’t in the same family, then why was he on the mission?

**Yuuki: ** Simple. If he was the mastermind, he must have tagged along to make sure everything went smoothly, and that by the end of it, Takumi Himura was dead.

**Daiki: ** One of the witnesses turns out to be the true culprit...what a twist. Even if I never knew them, my heart goes out to the family that had to lose two members at once.

**Kyou: ** Even worse, he got away with it! And let someone else take the fall!

**Fuyuhiko: ** Not just someone. From what I’ve heard, Andal Brask and Cayde-6 used to be best friends. Brothers for life. That’s why it’s so fucking sickening...to turn on your friend without a single shred of guilt...!

**Shido: ** That’s...a pain I know.

**Fuyuhiko: ** You don’t. Takehiko killed to try and ensure everyone’s survival from poison. And Tamotsu was willing to give his life for you to escape. They had good intentions. But the true killer...he did it just because he had the fucking power to! That bastard!

**Daiki: ** P-Please calm down, Fuyuhiko!

**Fuyuhiko: ** ...Right. We’re so close now. I can’t lose my cool. We still need to talk on why the Tangled Shore and this killing game are connected.

**Yuuki: ** Do you have an idea?

**Fuyuhiko: ** Hell, I know everything. A couple of weeks alone in a bunker with nothing but papers and thoughts does that to you. To start off...we need to talk about the mastermind of this game.

**Yukio: ** Right. Junko Enoshima, the Ultimate Despair! A sick, twisted bitch!

**Fuyuhiko: ** Funny you say that...The mastermind isn’t Junko Enoshima. Not this time, anyways.

**Akihiko: ** ...Huh?

**Yuuki: ** What? But...the letter from your very own file...the one Kohaku had. It clearly stated that Junko Enoshima was the mastermind!

**Fuyuhiko: ** As I told you, this is a virtual simulation. Everything is made of bits and coding that can be manipulated. The mastermind’s been redacting and replacing information to fool you all.

**Daiki: ** But...then, who is it? Who’s the mastermind?!

**Fuyuhiko: ** Well, to start...they’re the same person that killed Takumi Himura AND blackmailed Adam Wyrick into an unofficial meeting.

**Hiroko: ** WHAT?! It’s...It’s Cayde-6 again?!

**Yuuki: ** Then that’s how...that’s how the Tangled Shore Murders and this killing game are connected. They were masterminded by the same person...

**Fuyuhiko: ** What’s even better, he’s in this room right now, watching us all. And he’s realized his plan is beginning to fall apart around him.

**Yukio: ** Then that’s it, right?! All we need to do know is just talk to him, huh? OI! CAYDE-6! WE KNOW YOU’RE WATCHIN’! EXPOSE YOURSELF!

**Fuyuhiko: ** You’re right. He should expose himself. Shido?

** _Shido: _ ** _ Fuyuhiko knows...and I know, too. The true identity of the mastermind...the cause of our sufferings, the deaths, and the overwhelming despair! The person...who we thought to be our friend...! _

_ Shido Norihisa _

_ Takehiko Juzaburo _

_ Fuyuhiko Weil _

_ Tamotsu Sugita _

_ Yuuki Shunsho _

_ Hiroko Nariakira _

_ Asuka Akira _

_ Haruki Ryobe _

_ Akio Bussho _

_ The Yakuza _

_ The Mechanic _

_ The Princess _

_ Hope _

_ The Athlete _

_ Akihiko Kenjiro _

** _>>Yukio Izo_ **

_ Yuji Izo _

_ Daiki Sorai _

_ Kohaku Hikozaemon _

_ Kyou Shun _

_ Keiko Kanon _

_ Yoshie Kazushi _

** _Shido: _ ** _ It can only be you! _


	88. Chapter 6: Final Class Trial-3

**Shido: ** Hey...Yukio.

**Yukio: ** Huh? Is something wrong?

**Shido: ** Nothing. I’m just wondering...is that really your name? Yukio Izo?

**Yukio: ** What? O-Of course it is! Why do you ask?

**Shido: ** Quit the bullshit, Cayde-6. We know it’s you.

**Yukio: ** ......H...Huh? I...I don’t know what you’re talkin’ about there, Shido.

**Shido: ** Then why have you suddenly began reacting so violently when the conversation had turned to cast doubt upon Cayde-6? You were very compliant in the case until Fuyuhiko arrived. Almost as if you were certain that you executed him properly.

**Yukio: ** Whoa whoa WHOA! I-I can’t understand a thing you are sayin’!

**Hiroko: ** Sh-Shido, what are you saying? Yukio cannot possibly be the mastermind.

**Daiki: ** Y-Yea! Yukio is a world-famous celebrity, one of the two leaders of the group HEADSHOT! He can’t be some merciless killer! And he would never put us in this situation!

**Akihiko: ** Shido, I think you’re going too far...

**Yukio: ** I-I-I...*sob* My brother died in this game! A-And now you’re accusin’ me of makin’ this hellhole?! You’re sick! Sick, I tell you! I-I thought you were my friend!

**Shido: ** W-Wait...

** _Shido: _ ** _ Yukio is visibly shaken by my accusation. I think maybe I was a bit too trigger-happy... _

**Fuyuhiko: ** Don’t wait. You’re dead-on, Shido. The mastermind of both the Tangled Shore Murders and this killing game within the virtual world is none other than Yukio Izo over there.

**Kyou: ** No! Shut up! We would not ever believe such a thing!

**Yuuki: ** You dare suggest one of our closest companions is our enemy? His emotions and terror were real. No sociopath could fake his tears and smiles so flawlessly.

**Fuyuhiko: ** Well, he’s probably just a good fucking liar, or you’re dumb as shit.

**Yuuki: ** ...What?

**Yukio: ** I...I’m not even the same person as Cayde-6!

**Fuyuhiko: ** Hm...

**Shido: ** Well...how do we know that for sure...all we can do is take your word on that.

**Monokuma: ** Nope! You’re wrong! Wrong, wrong, wrong!

**Hiroko: ** Ah! He’s unglitched now!

**Fuyuhiko: ** Damn...I expected you to be frozen longer. Looks like the Shadow King’s taking action now...

**Monokuma: ** Cayde-6 and Yukio Izo are two completely different people! That’s the biggest truth I’ve ever spoken: I swear on it!

**Kyou: ** Of course they are! Yukio would never do such a thing!

**Fuyuhiko: ** ...Huh. That still works, actually.

**Monokuma: ** H-Huh?

**Fuyuhiko: ** Even if that is true, there is still a way that Yukio as Cayde-6 masterminded the Tangled Shore Murders and the killing game. And if you reveal that, his entire cover is as good as gone!

** _Reasoning Retaliation Start!_ **

** _Phase 1:_ **

** _You’re talkin’ utter shit!_ **

** _I’ve done nothin’ harmful!_ **

** _I never even knew this murder case!_ **

** _What’re the Tangled Shores Murders?_ **

** _I’ve never known!_ **

** _Phase 2:_ **

** _Stop turnin’ everyone against me!_ **

** _Please, aren’t you all my friends?!_ **

** _This counselor asshole is the real enemy!_ **

** _He’s causin’ unnecessary discord!_ **

** _I would never be some sort of monster!_ **

** _Phase 3:_ **

** _Shut up! Just shut the fuck up!_ **

** _I won’t accept your supposed verdict!_ **

** _What would Yuji say about this?!_ **

** _What gain is there in painting me as cold-blooded!_ **

** _PLEASE, YOU’RE ALL I HAVE LEFT!_ **

** _I wasn’t even THERE to shoot Takumi Himura, Shido! How could I be the Mastermind?!_ **

**TWO**

**ENTITIES**

**IN SAME**

**BODY**

** _SHIDO, NOOOOOOOOO!_ **

_ Break!! _

**Shido: ** Fuyuhiko, you said this is a virtual world.

**Fuyuhiko: ** It is, 100%.

**Shido: ** So if two entities existed in one body, which one would appear as a virtual avatar?

**Fuyuhiko: ** Hm...That’s a good question. I guess that one would appear as a virtual avatar, while the other enters a comatose state in the physical body. I wouldn’t know: I only have one example for a frame of reference.

**Yukio: ** Nngh!

**Shido: ** And that’s Yukio, right? The one mentioned in the redacted soulcraft file.

**Fuyuhiko: ** The one with the two entities in one body? Yup. That’s how it worked. That’s how Yukio killed Takumi Himura: by controlling Cayde-6’s body.

**Akihiko: ** So...even if Yukio and Cayde were separate people...it could still work.

**Yukio: ** What...I...

**Fuyuhiko: ** Shut up. We’ve got you now, you soulcrafted rat.

**Yukio: ** No! I’m not...not...not-not-not-not-not...

**Daiki: ** Y-Yukio! Are you alright?!

**Yukio: ** NO! WAIT! STOP! I HAVE THIS UNDER CONTROL! DON’T-!

_ Yukio suddenly goes quiet, eyes dull and head hanging. _

**Yukio: ** ......

**Yuuki: ** What...the hell?

**Hiroko: ** Yukio! Are you okay?!

**Yukio: ** ......Unit online...

**Akihiko: ** What the...

_ Yukio suddenly makes rock star hands with his tongue sticking out. _

**Yukio: ** HAHAHAHAHA! Finally! I was fucking bored as shit!

**Kyou: ** Wh...What the hell?!

**Yuuki: ** Yukio...What’s going on?

**Yukio: ** You fucking know, man! Stop denying this shit!

**Fuyuhiko: ** It’s him. Yukio Izo is the mastermind of what you know as hell.

**Shido: ** I...I can’t believe it...

**Yukio: ** *dull* ......

**Yukio: ** *depressed with mushrooms on his head* Yea, it really is depressing. One of your best friends, creating the game that murdered so many lives with potential...it really is despairing, isn’t it?

**Hiroko: ** No...I can’t believe it! I thought...

**Yukio: ** *dull* ......

**Yukio: ** *tongue sticking out and waving hands in a goofy manner* Thought I was your friend? Think again! I was sort of the enemy all along!

**Daiki: ** But...I don’t understand! I thought you were a real person! You’re not Yukio Izo, the Ultimate Gunner?!

**Yukio: ** Well, that is my name! I’m just no Ultimate! In fact, speaking with exact terms, none of us are!

**Yuuki: ** Wh...What?! What are you going at?!

**Yukio: ** *dull* ......

**Yukio: ** *glasses pushed up his face* It is blatantly obvious. I am not a real person. I was created for one purpose only, to serve my lord. I controlled Cayde’s body without him knowing. Made him the traitor to his friends and family while he doesn’t know a thing. I am nothing but a puppet, the second entity in Cayde’s body in the physical world. And yet, you all know me as a world-famous leader of a fan organization. I have a brother, too. How can this be? Why do you think this?

** _Shido: _ ** _ We knew Yukio as a real person, with a brother and a fanbase...but he never had any of those. And even more, outside this virtual world, there’s an entire government, location, and people we’ve never known. Why is this? Why don’t we remember... _

We were brainwashed

**>>We aren’t real people**

The physical world is a lie

** _Shido: _ ** _ I got it! _

**Shido: ** ...We aren’t...any more real than you, Yukio.

**Akihiko: ** H-Huh? Wait, what do you mean?!

**Daiki: ** Hey, no! Shido, you aren’t making-!

**Yukio: ** *crown on head and hands on hips* You are entirely right, young man! None of us are real! We’re nothing but virtual avatars, puppets for other people!

**Akihiko: ** Gh!

**Hiroko: ** What?! You can’t be...!

**Yukio: ** I do not lie, my subjects! Your dear friend Yukio Izo speaks the honest truth! Let’s start with you, Daiki!

**Daiki: ** H-Huh?

**Yukio: ** Shido, be a good boy and reveal the evidence which denotes the existence of Daiki Sorai!

**Daiki:** Wait! Shido, please!

** _Shido: _ ** _ Daiki...No, it can’t be. We’re...real people, right? But that wouldn’t explain that piece of evidence... _

**Tangled Shore Murders Report**

**Andal Brask**

**Body Autopsies**

**Witnesses of Murder**

**Cayde-6’s Account**

**Cedar’s Account**

**>>Writing on File**

**Shido’s Vision**

**Uldren Sov Homicide Report**

**Weil Family Photo**

**Insurrection’s Abyss**

**Soulcraft E. #78: [REDACTED]**

**Missing Persons Announcement Transcript**

**The NMMA**

**Hatch in Bunker**

**The Alliance **

**Libra von Brigheld’s Email**

**Email to Adam Wyrick**

**Camera Feed: 1/02/620, 11:21 PM**

** _Shido: _ ** _ I got it! _

**Shido: ** If it’s anything I can think of...it was the Tangled Shore Murders file with Daiki’s handwriting on it.

**Yukio: ** *cutesy pose with sparkly eyes* Thaaaat’s right! If Daiki Sorai is the Ultimate Ship Captain, how did he have the power to close an infamous murder case? Simple: His real self isn’t Daiki Sorai, the Ultimate Ship Captain!

**Daiki: ** St-Stop...Please stop!

**Yukio: ** Hey, Daiki! What was your motive video, all the way back?

**Daiki: ** H...Huh?

**Yukio: ** *dull* ......

**Yukio: ** *depressing pose* You saw a man. A man sitting at a table, facing the camera and holding back tears. You didn’t know the man. But he was the most important person in your true life. That was your commander. The man you’re a right-hand to.

**Daiki: ** Please stop...

**Yukio: ** Your name is Takashi Shirogane. You’re an assistant to Commander Zavala in the Alliance. Your entire life is a lie.

**Daiki: ** AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!

**Kyou: ** Daiki! Daiki, please calm down!

**Daiki: ** SHUT UP! SHUT UP! NOOOOOO!

**Yukio:** *glasses pose* Kyou Shun. The Ultimate Organizer.

**Kyou: ** No...No, stop talking!

**Yukio: ** It turns out you did try to kill someone. But you failed. He managed to survive the time your emotions got the better of you. He was already hospitalized by my poison, so it was perfect for you.

**Kyou: ** What? No...!

**Yukio: ** Your real name is Adam Wyrick. You are the ghost writer of the Alliance. In fact, you dated Takashi. Such a shame that fate has now driven you apart. And you are one who attempted murder to deliver justice upon Andal Brask.

**Kyou: ** Nnn...uuu...NOOOOOOO!!

**Hiroko: ** No...No, this can’t be happening...This can’t be!

**Akihiko: ** Please! Please stop! Please stop this now!

**Yukio: ** *cutesy pose* Hiroko Nariakira! You were supposed to become a mean sourpuss! But it looks like you developed beyond your planned character! Oh, well. You’re just cannon fodder compared to everyone else!

**Hiroko: ** No...please!

**Yukio: ** You’re just some lady named Nythera. You aren’t important at all!

**Hiroko: ** No...No, no, no, no...nonononono...!

**Yuuki: ** You monster! You filthy beast!

**Yukio: ** *royal pose* Ah, yes! Yuuki Shunsho, the Ultimate Clone! At least your Ultimate talent exists in the real world!

**Yuuki: ** What...no...

**Yukio: ** You’re just a runaway clone, breaking the chain your master held! Now you were placed back within his grasp out of a desire to view his experiment: an artificial soul made out of the blood of the enemy.

**Yuuki: ** Stop...no! NO!

**Yukio: ** Your name is Kamui! A worthless failure of a project-and that’s saying something, seeing the failure of so many other soulcraft projects!

**Yuuki: ** No...*sob* No! NO!

** _Shido: _ ** _ Oh god...Oh, god! _

**Shido: ** Fuyuhiko! P-Please! Tell him to stop! Tell us that he’s lying!

**Fuyuhiko: ** I...I wish I could. Or that the news could have been given to you in a better situation. Yukio...is right. You’re all just...avatars of your physical body’s deepest desires, warped by this twisted game!

**Shido: ** ......

**Yukio: ** *dull* ...Help...

**Shido: ** Huh?

**Yukio: ** *holding Monokuma up and mimicking his voice* Puhuhuhuhu! Let’s move on! How about you, Akihiko Kenjiro?

**Akihiko: ** No...stop!

**Yukio: ** I don’t need to say much. I think you know. I think you’ve known for the longest time. You know it too...right, Shido?

** _Shido: _ ** _ I...do? Why does Yukio think I know who Akihiko is? _

Akihiko’s physical appearance

Akihiko’s mental state

**>>Akihiko’s strange reaction beforehand**

**Shido: ** ...Akihiko, can you please tell me your real name?

**Akihiko: ** H...Huh? You mean my foreign name?

**Shido: ** Remember when we both read the missing persons announcement transcript together? You reacted to something on it, noticing something I didn’t. That’s because...you saw your real name on it, and you didn’t know why.

**Akihiko: ** H-Hey...why would you even come to a weird conclusion like that?!

**Shido: ** Akihiko...Please tell me your birth name. Please confirm to me that it’s Rowan Vasiliev.

**Fuyuhiko: ** Wait...what?

**Akihiko: ** I...

**Fuyuhiko: ** Dammit, how long?! If you knew, then you had the power to stop this!

**Akihiko: ** I...I didn’t want...to give it up...the tastes, the feeling of things in my hands, the bright colors without any scanning implements and blue tint in my vision...I didn’t want to give up any of it! I didn’t want to go back to being Rowan Vasiliev, who’s supposed to save the universe! I just wanted to be a plain and normal person!

**Fuyuhiko: ** People fucking died, Rowan! You could have died!

**Akihiko: ** I would rather die happy than tormented over a body I feel like I don’t belong in!

**Fuyuhiko: ** You selfish bastard! Think about the whole fucking universe you have to save!

**Akihiko: ** You mean the universe that brought me nothing but pain? You would never understand my hate! The hate I hide every day! I can’t ever go back to the way I am, so just let me be Akihiko Kenjiro!

**Fuyuhiko: ** You fucking...!

**Yukio: ** *rockstar pose* And finally...you!

**Shido: ** Huh?

**Yukio: ** Let’s talk about your ass, huh? Who are you? Who are you in the real shitty world?!

**Shido: ** I...I don’t know.

**Yukio: ** Hey, I think you know. I think you have fucking evidence that reveals who you are! It’s in your face! Don’t deny it!

**Shido: ** ......

**Tangled Shore Murders Report**

**Andal Brask**

**Body Autopsies**

**Witnesses of Murder**

**Cayde-6’s Account**

**Cedar’s Account**

**Writing on File**

**>>Shido’s Vision**

**Uldren Sov Homicide Report**

**Weil Family Photo**

**Insurrection’s Abyss**

**Soulcraft E. #78: [REDACTED]**

**Missing Persons Announcement Transcript**

**The NMMA**

**Hatch in Bunker**

**The Alliance **

**Libra von Brigheld’s Email**

**Email to Adam Wyrick**

**Camera Feed: 1/02/620, 11:21 PM**

** _Shido: _ ** _ I got it! _

**Shido: ** I had...a vision. I heard me, Akihiko, and a girl talking...we were talking about Andal Brask, if I remember right.

**Yukio: ** Yup! That’s it! That’s the ringer!

**Shido: ** What are you going on about?

**Yukio: ** *dull* ......

**Yukio: ** *depressed pose* It’s so annoying you lost your memory of it. You actually discovered your true identity at one point, only to completely forget about it.

**Shido: ** You mean...I remembered who I was the time our memories were wiped of?

**Yukio: ** Yup. This makes this conversation a bit annoying to me. It just feels like I’m repeating a part of the script out loud, after it has been acted for. Like the flashback of an event nobody cares about.

**Shido: ** Cut to the chase! What are you saying?!

**Yukio: ** You know. You know who you are.

**Shido: ** No, I don’t! Just fucking tell me!

**Yukio: ** Stop trying to deny it. Don’t drill me for an answer you know.

**Shido: ** No! Just tell me! Tell me, damn you!

**Yukio: ** Fine. The homicide report. The unredacted homicide report. That’s all you need to know.

** _Shido: _ ** _ The report...yes, the report. In that report, I was... _

**>>The murderer**

**>>Uldren Sov**

**>>A ruthless killer**

** _Shido: _ ** _ I... _

**Shido: ** ......No...*sniff* No...!

**Yukio: ** *Monokuma pose* Puhuhuhu! Didja figure it out, Shi-Shi?

**Shido: ** Don’t...don’t call me that. I know...that is not who I am. I am...I am Uldren Sov. A cold-blooded killer.

**Yukio: ** Rrrrright on the money maker! That’s right! You’re an emotionless sociopath! In fact, your victim was none other thaaan...ME! I’m your victim! Cayde-6, the mastermind of this killing game! How does that sound for the ultimate revenge?

**Shido: ** ......

**Yukio: ** *finger guns at head pose, a unique pose to him* Let me explain it to you! I had a wife and a daughter. Pinky was such a sweet gal. And my daughter was the brightest diamond of them all! I had such a lovin’ family! And great friends, too!

**Shido: ** Please stop.

**Yukio: ** You took my own gun. You used your goons to injure me, then stole my gun and used it to kill me. You really did not play fair, Sov! You were a complete coward!

**Shido: ** I’m begging you, just...just stop.

**Yukio: ** I remember you walkin’ away! With my gun! Tauntin’ that I didn’t feel a thing!

**Fuyuhiko: ** Hey, shut the fuck up. Shido, he is not the Cayde you shot and killed! He’s using guilt you don’t have!

**Yukio: ** *depressing pose* You left me to bleed out. I died choking on my last words. Do you have any idea how painful that was? It was utterly despairing. You left me like roadkill. Like I was a bug you wiped off your shoe.

**Shido: ** ......

**Fuyuhiko: ** You...dammit! Snap out of it!

**Akihiko: ** ......

**Daiki: ** ......

**Kyou: ** ......

**Hiroko: ** ......

**Yuuki: ** ......

**Yukio: ** Huh. Look at that. Their faces are completely devoid of any happiness. Crushed like flies. I guess that’s a normal reaction when you learn your entire existence was a made up lie to satiate the deepest desires of the self you don’t know.

**Fuyuhiko: ** No...No! Snap out of it! All of you!

**Yukio: ** *rockstar pose* You watching, Wu Ming?! Watching through your puppet right here?! I hope you are, because I have a message for you! It’s over! Despair has fucking triumphed! The Light Incarnate is gone, despite your best efforts! And now...the ultimate execution BEGINS!

_ The entire area suddenly glitches and spazzes out. The trial suddenly is in an endless stream of blue data. _

**Fuyuhiko: ** Dammit! This place is falling apart...the Shadow King must have ordered Seraphina to end the program. All of you, wake up! We have to go!

** _Shido: _ ** _ Wake...up...from...what? The nightmare? But then I’ll cease to exist entirely...isn’t Akihiko right? Isn’t it better to...die as yourself? _

**Destruction was added to your Truth Bullets.**

**Destruction: To lose yourself is to lose all. It didn’t matter. Nothing did. Regardless, death comes. Die as Shido Norihisa instead of Uldren Sov.**

_ State your case! _

**Truth Bullets:**

**Destruction**

**Yukio: ** *dull* That’s it, Fuyuhiko. Game over.

**Hiroko: ** ......

**Fuyuhiko: ** This is...not...!

**Daiki: ** ......

**Yukio: ** The NMMA is committing a data purge as we speak.

**Kyou: ** ......

**Yukio: ** It would be wise for you to leave to preserve your life.

**Yuuki: ** ......

**Fuyuhiko: ** Huh? You ain’t attempting to escape?

**Akihiko: ** ......

**Yukio: ** Is it wrong to want to die as yourself, surrounded by friends...?

**Shido: ** ......

** _Shido: _ ** _ To die...surrounded by all that you knew...it sounds better...than to return to being a murderer. Goodbye, Uldren Sov. I accept dying to refute your return. _


	89. Chapter 6: Final Class Trial-4

**Fuyuhiko: ** ...... *sigh* Always gotta do this shit myself, huh?

**Yukio: ** Hm?

_ With a flourish, Fuyuhiko takes off the bandages around his eye. He reveals his sclera has become completely black, save for the symbol of two green snakes entwining together where his iris should be. _

**Fuyuhiko: ** I won’t be able to save this shithole...But I’ll be able to buy time!

_ Fuyuhiko’s hand glitches green. The data around the area flares up in green as the glitching crawls up Fuyuhiko’s arm. _

**Fuyuhiko: ** Hngg...GAAAAAAAAAH!!

**Yukio:** *dull* ...Idiot. Using Wu Ming’s data harms you. That’s why you have that eye. You got it using the data to escape your execution.

_ Fuyuhiko’s jacket sleeve is torn away now, revealing a winding snake irezumi, green as jade. _

**Fuyuhiko: ** Shut...Shut the fuck up, you bastard. I’m going to save everyone I can, like I swore to! I promised...I promised all of them! I became the spy so I would be able to catch you in your own goddamn mouse trap! These people...they are not who you make them out to be. I will NOT LET THEM FUCKING DIE!

**SPLIT OPINION**

**Team Blanc:**

**Yukio, Shido, Kyou, Hiroko, Akihiko, Daiki, Yuuki**

**Team Noir:**

**Fuyuhiko**

**Keywords:**

**Fuyuhiko: Shadow King**

**Fuyuhiko: Friends**

**Fuyuhiko: Counselor**

**Fuyuhiko: Willing**

**Fuyuhiko: Motive**

**Fuyuhiko: Memories**

**Fuyuhiko: Cayde-6**

**Do the survivors deserve to die as students of Hope’s Peak Academy?**

**Team Blanc: We do!**

**Team Noir: You do not!**

**DEBATE SCRUM START!**

**Yukio: ** *depressed pose* There is no motive to surviving...

**Fuyuhiko: ** There are multiple  **motives ** that give them reasons to live on!

**Yukio: ** *cutesy pose* Shouldn’t we all die as friends?

**Fuyuhiko: ** Didn’t you yourself that admit you were never  **friends** with your classmates in the first place?

**Yukio: ** *royal pose* Our lord, the Shadow King, demands their deaths!

**Fuyuhiko: ** Fuck the  **Shadow King** . I serve a different cause.

**Yukio: ** *goofy pose* We all would lose our memories of self if we were to leave!

**Fuyuhiko: ** Your  **memories** are fake. There’s no reason to keep them.

**Yukio: ** *Monokuma pose* As a counselor, shouldn’t you keep the stability of the killing game?

**Fuyuhiko: ** A  **counselor ** always looks out for their students, killing game or not!

**Yukio: ** *two-finger pose* Come on, look at them. They are all willing to die.

**Fuyuhiko: ** They are  **willing** to die because you’ve given them exaggerated information and false words!

**Yukio: ** *guns to head pose* Come on, buddy. Do Cayde-6 a favor and let us all die.

**Fuyuhiko: ** You are not  **Cayde-6** . I will not listen to you.

**FULL COUNTER**

** _Fuyuhiko: _ ** _ THIS IS MY ANSWER! _

** _BREAK!!_ **

**Fuyuhiko: ** All of you, don’t listen to that son of a bitch! You have reasons to live! Don’t lose hope now!

**Yukio: ** *depressed pose* Why do you keep fighting? Just leave, or you’ll die with us all. It’s a delicate mercy that you’re allowed to get out on time.

**Fuyuhiko: ** Because...Because I swore with my life that I’ll stop this killing game. I swore to Wu Ming, to Seraphina...I want to bring these people back to their homes! They have families missing them, friends worried about them! I may not have been able to save everyone, but...I’ll save anyone I can! I’ll save their sense of self!

**Self was added to your Truth Bullets.**

**Self: Nythera is a powerful draconic mage. Takashi Shirogane is beloved by many, especially his commander Zavala, and is paired with the ghost writer Adam Wyrick. Kamui has a bright future not burdened by chains of being artificially made. Rowan Vasiliev is needed to save the universe from the Shadow King. And Uldren Sov is not the person Yukio says he is. It is time for them all to regain their true senses of self.**

_ State your case! _

**Truth Bullets:**

**Self**

_ Mirages of the deceased students appear at the trial podiums. All of them are emotionless and robotic, reciting the deepest desire that created their avatar. They all have Alliance members, their true selves, glitching in their forms and showing fragmentations of who they were. _

**Kyou Shun/Adam Wyrick: I want to be a man who isn’t ruled by his emotions.**

**Takehiko Juzaburo/Faro: ** I want to be more than a face in the crowd.

**Keiko Kanon/Beleen Baker: ** I want to be a source of happiness for others.

**Haruki Ryobe/Gabriel: ** I want to be confident in my art.

**Daiki Sorai/Takashi Shirogane: I want to be free from my trauma.**

**Tamotsu Sugita/Zero: ** I want to be one who can protect, not hurt my friends.

**Yuji Izo/Shiro-4: ** I want to always be by my closest companion.

**Asuka Akira/Jadir: ** I want to be stronger so I can be the best.

**Hiroko Nariakira/Nythera: I want to be the mage that everyone respects.**

**Yoshie Kazushi/Libra von Brigheld: ** I want to be able to hold my beloved’s hand without shrinking away in fear.

**Akio Bussho/Virion von Brigheld: ** I want to be the best archer besides my beloved.

**Yuuki Shunsho/Kamui: I want to be someone whose true self can be accepted.**

**Kohaku Hikozaemon/Zeta: ** I want to be the ultimate trickster who can have the ultimate power.

**Akihiko Kenjiro/Rowan Vasiliev: I want to be a normal boy who can live out a normal life.**

**Shido Norihisa/Uldren Sov: ...I just want...Takumi back...**

**Yukio: ** Let’s all die together as who we want to be.

** _Fuyuhiko: _ ** _ I won’t let this fucker do this! I have to restore their hope...not in the world, but in themselves! _

**I want to be a man who isn’t ruled by his emotions. ** \-  **Self**

** _Fuyuhiko: _ ** _ Don’t lose your true self! _

**Fuyuhiko: ** Adam. It may be true that you won’t be able to make up for what you tried to do. But does that really mean you just kick the bucket in acceptance, right now?

**Kyou: ** ...What else do I live for?

**Fuyuhiko: ** You have a loving and caring boyfriend. You have a home, and a duty to fulfill. You’re the Ultimate Organizer because you still know that, in your heart, that is your task. Are you just going to abandon all you know? Give in to the person who trapped you within this despair?

**Kyou: ** ...If Daiki is Takashi, I...truly have no chance of restoring what relationship I broke. If we choose to accept hope, we remove everything we’ve learned here, and return to our old lives as if nothing happened. Everyone that died...did we even know them in our old lives within the Alliance? ...And yet, that fuels me to follow you, Fuyuhiko. The hope of their memories...I’ll memorize it all! I’ll pour out all my grief in condolences for the families! And I...I will make up for what I did to Andal Brask. I will fix my status within the Alliance. I cast aside the name Kyou Shun, Ultimate Organizer! And I accept being Adam Wyrick!

_ State your case! _

**Truth Bullets:**

**Self**

**Adam Wyrick: ** I’m going to work hard to allow me to forgive myself for my actions in the physical world!

**Faro: ** I hope you guys do well in the future.

**Beleen Baker: ** Hey, there’s a guy named Mr. Mir in the Tower. Please say hi to him from a Beleen Baker, please.

**Gabriel: ** Please make sure Rowan’s okay! He’s really important to me!

**Daiki Sorai/Takashi Shirogane: I want to be free from my trauma.**

**Tamotsu Sugita/Zero: ** I want to be one who can protect, not hurt my friends.

**Yuji Izo/Shiro-4: ** I want to always be by my closest companion.

**Asuka Akira/Jadir: ** I want to be stronger so I can be the best.

**Hiroko Nariakira/Nythera: I want to be the mage that everyone respects.**

**Yoshie Kazushi/Libra von Brigheld: ** I want to be able to hold my beloved’s hand without shrinking away in fear.

**Akio Bussho/Virion von Brigheld: ** I want to be the best archer besides my beloved.

**Yuuki Shunsho/Kamui: I want to be someone whose true self can be accepted.**

**Kohaku Hikozaemon/Zeta: ** I want to be the ultimate trickster who can have the ultimate power.

**Akihiko Kenjiro/Rowan Vasiliev: I want to be a normal boy who can live out a normal life.**

**Shido Norihisa/Uldren Sov: ...I just want...Takumi back...**

**Yukio: ** Let’s all die together as who we want to be.

**I want to be free from my trauma.** \-  **Self**

** _Fuyuhiko: _ ** _ Don’t lose your true self! _

**Fuyuhiko: ** Takashi, I know you suffer from a lot of trauma from the earlier years in your life. And seeing the gentle person you became in this virtual world, I bet you’re a good person in the real world, too. So why do you think it’s okay to take that kindness from the Alliance?

**Daiki: ** F-Fuyuhiko?

**Fuyuhiko:** People are waiting for you back at your home. Commander Zavala, and more. Don’t leave them. They may need you more than you think!

**Daiki: ** You make me sound like an emotional crutch for a lot of people. And yet, I can see that. I can see making people smile...if I die, do I just give that up? If others want me to live on, I’ll...I’ll live on for them! Even if I forget all that’s happened here, I’m still going to be Daiki Sorai on the inside! I’ll still be myself!

_ State your case! _

**Truth Bullets:**

**Self**

**Adam Wyrick: ** I’m going to work hard to allow me to forgive myself for my actions in the physical world!

**Faro: ** I hope you guys do well in the future.

**Beleen Baker: ** Hey, there’s a guy named Mr. Mir in the Tower. Please say hi to him from a Beleen Baker, please.

**Gabriel: ** Please make sure Rowan’s okay! He’s really important to me!

**Takashi Shirogane:** I’m going to live on for the people who want to see me again!

**Zero: ** Hey, say hi to X and Axl for me. Maybe Lucina, if she asks about me.

**Shiro-4: ** I just hope Cayde can return to normal as well after this...

**Jadir: ** I’m sorry, Teach...I ain’t coming home.

**Hiroko Nariakira/Nythera: I want to be the mage that everyone respects.**

**Yoshie Kazushi/Libra von Brigheld: ** I want to be able to hold my beloved’s hand without shrinking away in fear.

**Akio Bussho/Virion von Brigheld: ** I want to be the best archer besides my beloved.

**Yuuki Shunsho/Kamui: I want to be someone whose true self can be accepted.**

**Kohaku Hikozaemon/Zeta: ** I want to be the ultimate trickster who can have the ultimate power.

**Akihiko Kenjiro/Rowan Vasiliev: I want to be a normal boy who can live out a normal life.**

**Shido Norihisa/Uldren Sov: ...I just want...Takumi back...**

**Yukio: ** Let’s all die together as who we want to be.

**I want to be the mage that everyone respects.** \-  **Self**

** _Fuyuhiko: _ ** _ Don’t lose your true self! _

**Fuyuhiko: ** Nythera, if you die here, you will not return to being a mage in the real world. Your deepest desire was already granted. You’re a rather popular lady in the Alliance. You’re not cannon fodder like Yukio says! You’re an important person, too!

**Hiroko: ** Hm...I wonder if I have my fear of men in the real world. If I don’t, I could be even more powerful. But most of all, I have friends on the outside, right? Friends that miss me. Even if I forget all of the progress I made here...I would never abandon my friends. So, I will go with you. Hiroko Nariakira accepts her death to allow Nythera to live.

_ State your case! _

**Truth Bullets:**

**Self**

**Adam Wyrick: ** I’m going to work hard to allow me to forgive myself for my actions in the physical world!

**Faro: ** I hope you guys do well in the future.

**Beleen Baker: ** Hey, there’s a guy named Mr. Mir in the Tower. Please say hi to him from a Beleen Baker, please.

**Gabriel: ** Please make sure Rowan’s okay! He’s really important to me!

**Takashi Shirogane:** I’m going to live on for the people who want to see me again!

**Zero: ** Hey, say hi to X and Axl for me. Maybe Lucina, if she asks about me.

**Shiro-4: ** I just hope Cayde can return to normal as well after this...

**Jadir: ** I’m sorry, Teach...I ain’t coming home.

**Nythera: ** I have made my decision, Yukio! Begone from us all!

**Libra von Brigheld: ** All I can do is watch and hope for Sapphire’s safety...

**Virion von Brigheld: ** I will miss her too, Libra.

**Yuuki Shunsho/Kamui: I want to be someone whose true self can be accepted.**

**Kohaku Hikozaemon/Zeta: ** I want to be the ultimate trickster who can have the ultimate power.

**Akihiko Kenjiro/Rowan Vasiliev: I want to be a normal boy who can live out a normal life.**

**Shido Norihisa/Uldren Sov: ...I just want...Takumi back...**

**Yukio: ** Let’s all die together as who we want to be.

**I want to be someone whose true self can be accepted.** \-  **Self**

** _Fuyuhiko: _ ** _ Don’t lose your true self! _

**Fuyuhiko: ** Kamui, being a clone doesn’t change who you are. So you’re a test tube baby: big fucking whoop. You’re still the same person you’ve always been. You’re overthinking it. The Alliance can and will accept you for admitting who you are.

**Yuuki: ** I...I don’t know what to think. Do I act like a clueless idiot in the real world? Or am I really a clueless idiot?

**Fuyuhiko: ** You are who you are. Don’t change that.

**Yuuki: ** Yes...Yes, to throw away your identity sounds rather suicidal. Even if your body lives, your mind would perish, correct? Giving up my identity to earn death? What good does that do? Maybe I am not Yuuki Shunsho...but for you, I will accept just being Kamui.

_ State your case! _

**Truth Bullets:**

**Self**

**Adam Wyrick: ** I’m going to work hard to allow me to forgive myself for my actions in the physical world!

**Faro: ** I hope you guys do well in the future.

**Beleen Baker: ** Hey, there’s a guy named Mr. Mir in the Tower. Please say hi to him from a Beleen Baker, please.

**Gabriel: ** Please make sure Rowan’s okay! He’s really important to me!

**Takashi Shirogane:** I’m going to live on for the people who want to see me again!

**Zero: ** Hey, say hi to X and Axl for me. Maybe Lucina, if she asks about me.

**Shiro-4: ** I just hope Cayde can return to normal as well after this...

**Jadir: ** I’m sorry, Teach...I ain’t coming home.

**Nythera: ** I have made my decision, Yukio! Begone from us all!

**Libra von Brigheld: ** All I can do is watch and hope for Sapphire’s safety...

**Virion von Brigheld: ** I will miss her too, Libra.

**Kamui: ** This is the end, Yukio. I accept leaving to save my physical self!

**Zeta: ** You all better make sure my family gets my body and shiz like that!

**Akihiko Kenjiro/Rowan Vasiliev: I want to be a normal boy who can live out a normal life.**

**Shido Norihisa/Uldren Sov: ...I just want...Takumi back...**

**Yukio: ** Let’s all die together as who we want to be.

**I want to be a normal boy who can live out a normal life.** \-  **Self**

** _Fuyuhiko: _ ** _ Don’t lose your true self! _

**Fuyuhiko:** Rowan...I understand that you missed being able to taste food and feel the texture of objects. But is that really good enough to let yourself and others die?

**Akihiko: ** I...I’m always the one who sacrifices to save others. I never receive anything in return.

**Fuyuhiko: ** I’m sorry, but...you need to sacrifice again. Sacrifice your fake life to save your real one!

**Akihiko: ** ...I wish I didn’t have to...but the thought of leaving the Alliance to die as a normal person makes my chest tighten. I think...I have something really important to live for. I need to find that thing...I need to sacrifice myself again to find it. I’m sorry, Yukio...I wish I could die with you, even if you did do stuff like this.

_ State your case! _

**Truth Bullets:**

**Self**

**Adam Wyrick: ** I’m going to work hard to allow me to forgive myself for my actions in the physical world!

**Faro: ** I hope you guys do well in the future.

**Beleen Baker: ** Hey, there’s a guy named Mr. Mir in the Tower. Please say hi to him from a Beleen Baker, please.

**Gabriel: ** Please make sure Rowan’s okay! He’s really important to me!

**Takashi Shirogane:** I’m going to live on for the people who want to see me again!

**Zero: ** Hey, say hi to X and Axl for me. Maybe Lucina, if she asks about me.

**Shiro-4: ** I just hope Cayde can return to normal as well after this...

**Jadir: ** I’m sorry, Teach...I ain’t coming home.

**Nythera: ** I have made my decision, Yukio! Begone from us all!

**Libra von Brigheld: ** All I can do is watch and hope for Sapphire’s safety...

**Virion von Brigheld: ** I will miss her too, Libra.

**Kamui: ** This is the end, Yukio. I accept leaving to save my physical self!

**Zeta: ** You all better make sure my family gets my body and shiz like that!

**Rowan Vasiliev: ** I guess it’s time to sacrifice myself...once more.

**Shido Norihisa/Uldren Sov: ...I just want...Takumi back...**

**Yukio: ** Let’s all die together as who we want to be.

**...I just want...Takumi back...** \-  **Self**

** _Fuyuhiko: _ ** _ Don’t lose your true self! _

_ Break!! _

**Fuyuhiko: ** You...want Takumi back?

**Shido: ** We were...best friends...maybe even more...I just want to see him again...

**Fuyuhiko: ** Dying here and now is not the way to do that!

**Shido: ** Huh?

**Fuyuhiko: ** What if Takumi was here, huh? What would he say if he saw you just giving up? He would tell you to live! Throw away this false life and return to your real one!

**Shido: ** But...I’m a monster...a sociopathic monster...

** _Rowan: _ ** _ No! That’s wrong! _

**Shido: ** Huh?!

**Rowan: ** Uldren, I don’t remember anything about the real world other than I am supposed to save it from a calamity. However, my heart knows...I know that we are best friends in the real world! That you aren’t the killer Yukio makes you out to be!

**Shido: ** But...the file...

**Takashi: ** Uldren, remember the missing persons announcement transcript? It said sixteen Alliance members went missing. Sixteen. Not fifteen, or any less. You’re one of us. An Alliance member.

**Nythera: ** And the file that reports on your so-called “crime” is considered holding outdated evidence. It does not matter in the present anymore.

**Kamui: ** You are not a monster, Uldren Sov. You are not any less important than the rest of us.

**Adam: ** If anything, I am the criminal. You definitely are important enough to have made it this far! You cannot give up now, at the climax!

**Fuyuhiko: ** Uldren Sov...don’t lose hope. You have a life. Return to it. Return to your loved ones like the rest of us will! Don’t let Takumi Himura’s spirit down.

**Shido: ** ......Heh...Heh heh...Even now, you all cheer someone as worthless as me on...I don’t know what to say except...thank you. Even when I’m at my deepest, you all encourage me on...I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for all of you sticking with me through thick and thin. So if you guys decide to leave...to leave behind our Ultimate talents and all we know...I will join you. I don’t know what future we’ll be heading to, but...it’ll be okay! As long as we unite under hope! I will not run from my true name any longer! I am Uldren Sov! And I defy your damned despair, Yukio!

**Yukio: ** ......You...you don’t allow me...the happiness of dying with what I know?

**Takashi: ** What?

**Yukio: ** You all...are all I know. I was created purely as a tool. Built to work for the enemy of the Alliance. Nothing but a slave. I set up this killing game, made to turn you all against each other. A perfect punishment for going against my creator. This world...was my happiness. I was normal. I wasn’t some puppet. I was...Yukio Izo, the Ultimate Gunner. And now I have to...die alone in it? Without my only friends?

**Nythera: ** Why do you have to die?

**Yukio: ** I want to die. I want to die so the Shadow King can stop using me and making me suffer. I don’t get a happy ending like you do...

**Adam: ** Yukio...

**Fuyuhiko: ** Good. You deserve it for what you’ve done!

**Yukio: ** I know. What I did...to Takumi, to Dynamo, to Andal...it can never be forgiven. That is why I must die. ......

**Yukio: ** *orgasmic pose* Aaaaah...~! This despair...It consumes my entire body! This despair of guilt and grief and wishing for death! Oh, how I wish you all could feel it!

**Rowan: ** He’s turned on by this shit?!

**Kamui: ** He is not right in the head at all...

**Yukio: ** Well? Isn’t it over? It’s time for the final act! The final execution of despair and hope!

**Uldren: ** Wait!

**Yukio: ** *normal* Hm?

**Uldren: ** What...What did Takumi find out? What did you kill him for?

**Takashi: ** He’s right. We never really found out...

**Yukio: ** Oh. Nothing. He just saw the wrong thing. Picked up the wrong conversation. He just heard me speaking to the king. Nothing more. How ironic. His death could have been completely avoided. Maybe if he just took a different path that night, or headed down the hall a few minutes later...it would have made all the difference.

**Nythera: ** The king?

**Yukio: ** None other than the Shadow King Fox. Ruler of darkness himself. My master. And your destined opponent, Rowan.

**Rowan: ** Huh?

**Yukio: ** Funny. He tried to kill you to make no obstacle standing in his way. That was the same reason Uldren was taken captive.

**Uldren: ** What? I’m...going to be an obstacle? How?

**Yukio: ** ...I don’t know. I don’t care, either. It’s time. Time to close this trial for good.

**Uldren: ** Right...it is time to end this.

** _Uldren and Fuyuhiko: _ ** _ This is the end! _

**Uldren: “The beginning occurred on the night of January 2nd, 620 P.C. The victim, Takumi Himura, was heading down a hallway when he saw a strange light. When he peeked in, he saw the man Cayde-6 in a conversation with an enemy called the Shadow King. He quickly fled, but Cayde-6 must have seen him go. Unbeknownst to Takumi, Cayde-6’s body was being controlled by the mastermind of the killing game.**

**“The next morning, the mastermind invited Takumi out on a mission. They made sure to bring along members of Takumi’s family so he wouldn’t be able to deny coming along. There were four in this mission group: Cedar, Dynamo, Takumi, and the mastermind controlling Cayde-6’s body. And upon arrival, these four split into two different teams. Takumi was with Cedar, and Dynamo went ahead with the mastermind.**

**“However, the mastermind returned without Dynamo. Cedar immediately ran off to confirm Dynamo’s safety. Unbeknownst to him, he was already dead, most likely used as a lure to get Takumi alone with the mastermind. Once Cedar discovered he was dead, he ran back just in time to witness Takumi’s death.**

**“You see, it was thought that Andal Brask was the murderer, but this logic was incorrect. Because of Cedar’s position, he saw Andal when Takumi was shot, leading to the belief that he was the culprit. But the true murderer, the mastermind, was just off to the side and out of sight. He was the one who truly fired his gun and killed Takumi, hiding their secret of being a traitor to the Alliance.**

**“Then, the mastermind pretended he was a witness of the gruesome acts. That’s why six months later, when Andal Brask was put on trial for the murders of Takumi and Dynamo, they testified against him. This strengthened the standing of the overall charges, and Andal was found guilty. Nobody knew that Andal Brask was an innocent man, and instead, the mastermind was allowed to roam free.”**

**Fuyuhiko: “Later on, Adam Wyrick let his emotions get the better of him. The mastermind had poisoned Andal that day, landing him in the infirmary. Whether premeditated or going by the seat of his pants, Adam attacked Andal in the infirmary, planning to kill him to enact justice. However, he was stopped in time, but he managed to flee. He also was lucky enough that nobody managed to identify who he was.**

**“A bit later, the kidnappings began. They started with Rowan Vasiliev and Gabriel, who you all know as Akihiko Kenjiro and Haruki Ryobe. From there, the Shadow King ordered the mastermind to kidnap thirteen others to place within one of his newest creations: the NMMA, or the Neural Memory Mapping Animation. He planned to subject all sixteen of you to a brutal killing game.**

**“One by one, the mastermind kidnapped various Alliance members to fit the quota number. One of the ways they did this was luring Adam to meet them, or they’ll tell the Alliance Adam was the one who attempted to kill Andal. Meanwhile, the Alliance grew panicked, and rumors spread fast of a traitor. However, they couldn’t do anything, since nobody knew what was going on. Not even Cayde-6, who cannot remember the times the mastermind controls his body.**

**“Meanwhile, as the kidnappings continued, the creator of the NMMA, a woman named Seraphina, felt obligated to help save the captives. She had been planning with an associate to undermine the NMMA ever since the Shadow King’s plan was in development. Normally, her associate, a man named Wu Ming, doesn’t meddle in Alliance affairs. Luckily for her, he was very anti-killing game, and agreed to help free of charge.**

**“The two of them talked to the famous cyberscientist Isaac Weil for his aid. He agreed, and handed over me and my siblings to act as monitors for the killing game, and for one to help weed out the mastermind. That one was me, implanted with special protection data, courtesy of Wu Ming. I was to find and eliminate the mastermind within the school grounds.**

**“As you can see, the plan went off the rails. Rowan Vasiliev is a very important person, and I could not allow him to die. So when Takehiko planned to attack him, I knew I had to kill him. And then, I was executed for it. But last second, Wu Ming’s data saved my life, and transported me into the emergency bunker as a respawn system, at the cost of affecting my appearance. Not even Seraphina and Wu Ming knew I was alive, at that point. And meanwhile, my siblings were taken out one by one, now that the plan had gone awry and that they were no longer needed within the game.**

**“But now, we come to this point...Where we have discovered the identity of the mastermind.”**

**Uldren: “Right. And the only person it can be now...”**

**Uldren and Fuyuhiko: “Is you! Yukio Izo, the Ultimate Gunner!”**

**COMPLETE!!**

**Uldren: ** And that’s it. From beginning to end...all of Yukio’s treachery has been revealed.

**Yukio: ** ......*sob* You’re sick, Weil...

**Fuyuhiko: ** Huh? The fuck you mean?

**Yukio: ** You couldn’t even let me die with my friends...Instead, my last thoughts are of unhappy ones...Why do you do this? What did I do to deserve this life? WHY WAS I CREATED AS A MONSTER WHEN ALL I WANT IS WHAT YOU ALL CAN HAVE?! IT’S NOT FAIR, IT’S NOT FAIR, IT’S NOT FAIR!

**Takashi: ** Yukio...

**Nythera: ** Nngh...

**Fuyuhiko: ** Don’t let him do this to you. It’s guilt tripping. He’s not being honest.

**Yukio: ** PLEASE! Don’t let me die alone! I don’t want this despair! I just want a life! I want a normal life! I never wanted to be created solely to be the mastermind! Please die with me, and let me be happy one last time!

**Fuyuhiko: ** It’s time to get out of this shithole, everyone.

**Rowan: ** Will we really...forget everything that’s happened here?

**Fuyuhiko: ** Likely. Your fake memories could clash with your real memories, and confuse you on who you really are. For the sake of preserving your identity...this entire killing game must be erased from your knowledge.

**Kamui: ** Then we will...forget you?

**Fuyuhiko: ** Huh? You’re sad about that?

**Kamui: ** ...You are a good person. I don’t think many people like you exist. It would be a shame to forget you.

**Fuyuhiko: ** I’m...flattered. But I don’t mind being forgotten. I knew what I signed up for. Anything to keep my siblings out of harm’s way...

**Yukio: ** No...NO! PLEASE! PLEASE DON’T FORGET ME! AT LEAST REMEMBER ME!

**Fuyuhiko: ** Let’s leave this bastard in peace. Don’t even give him the satisfaction of a proper execution. I hope you all manage well in the physical world.

**Adam: ** Where will you go?

**Fuyuhiko: ** Home. Back to my father and my siblings. I wonder if they’ll not mind me wearing an eyepatch over the affected eye...Not like I need them to fret. Don’t worry. Just trust Seraphina to get you back home. She’s a nice gal, really. Really shouldn’t be on the enemy side.

**Uldren: ** ...Goodbye, Fuyuhiko.

**Fuyuhiko: ** Heh...goodbye, Uldren Sov. Hope you do well in the real world.

_ The digital realm suddenly spazzes out. Everything goes white, leaving Uldren standing in a white void. _

** _Uldren: _ ** _ I know I should be frightened. My identity, my past, everything I know...it’s being wiped away as I think. But yet...I’m not scared anymore. I want to be in my real life. And I’ll be more than happy to forget everything that’s happened here. Thank you, Fuyuhiko, Wu Ming, Seraphina...thank you for saving us. And goodbye...Shido Norihisa. _

_ Uldren closes his eyes as everything goes completely white. The NMMA is now offline. _

**Chapter 6: A Gambit Between Hopeful Punishment and Despairing Freedom**

**REMAINING STUDENTS:**

**Y#K10 1%0**

**1 $T_D%NT /%M@1N1NG**

**WHY DO I HAVE TO SAY GOODBYE**

**MAKEITSTOPMAKEITSTOPMAKEITSTOPIDON’TWANNADIENONONONONONONONONOSHIDOPLEASESAVEMEDON’TLEAVEMEWITHHER**

**It’s the end, now.**

**Seraphina will be waiting for you.**

**On behalf of me and Wu Ming, goodbye.**

** _1T/M G/T: J@d/ C<>1n!_ **

** _@ c<>in th@t c<>nf1rms th/ c<>mpl/tion <>f Ch@pt/r 6. N<>t l1k/ y<>_ w1ll n//d 1t 1n th/ r/@l w<>rld._ **


	90. Epilogue: The True Soul Hidden by Skin

Uldren could hear beeping and hissing noises as he forced his eyes open. His head throbbed painfully, and his limbs felt weak like wet noodles. He began to blindly feel around him, squinting to help his eyes adjust to the area around him.

After a few seconds, he could hear a relieved voice in his head. “Oh, thank the Traveler! You’re alive!”

Uldren grunted a bit. “Pulled Pork?”

“I felt your life signature, and I came as fast as I could! We thought you were dead, or worse, one of the Umbrati!”

Uldren slowly raised a hand. His palm pressed against green glass. He added more force, and it slid off of whatever his body had been trapped off. He grabbed the edges and pulled himself out of it.

He was standing in a large room. A large machine was in the center, thick and thin wires connected to a console. These wires were in turn stuck to a total of sixteen capsules with green glass over them. Some of them were opening, with groans of pain and exhaustion coming out.

Out of curiosity, Uldren leaned against the capsule next to him to stabilize himself enough to look inside. He recognized the Blade of Marmora uniform instantly. The face belonged to Faro, one of the soldiers in the organization.

“Faro!” Uldren pressed his hands against the capsule glass, and his voice cracked. He immediately began a coughing fit, feeling how dry his throat was.

“It’s no use. He won’t wake up. Your friend is braindead.”

Uldren turned around fast enough to become dizzy. He stumbled, only to bump into someone larger than him. They immediately grabbed him, and he could feel that one hand was metallic.

“Hey, hey.” Shiro’s voice came from behind. “Don’t make yourself sick.”

Uldren looked behind him. Shiro was standing there, holding him so he wouldn’t fall. He could count four others behind him, and recognized them all: Nythera was in the Blade of Marmora too. Adam was Shiro’s boyfriend. Kamui was that one kid that had snuck into the Umbra Mondo with the Blades and Voltron. And everybody knew Rowan.

“What’s going on?” Uldren asked. He noticed everyone looked weak and pale, just like him.

He focused in front of him, where a woman stood. She had her green hair pulled back into a ponytail, and wore a red cape. He remembered seeing her from the meeting he had with the Umbra Mondo monarchy when the Alliance was invited to help hunt down Iaoel. Wasn’t she the head researcher?

“I’m sorry for you six waking up like this,” she said. “But I need you all to leave quickly.”

“Leave?” Nythera questioned. “What’s going on?”

“Yea, I’m really tired and dizzy, not to mention confused!” Kamui exclaimed.

“Not to mention, we have to get everybody else up from those...capsule beds!” Kyou pointed out.

“They won’t wake up,” the head researcher responded. “An incident occurred in which all but one of your sleeping friends were rendered braindead, and the one who is still alive is comatose. Their souls moved on a long time ago.”

Uldren froze. What color was actually in his face vanished. Faro was...dead? He had already lost Takumi...he can’t lose more of his friends in the Blade of Marmora!

Everybody else looked equally shocked. They looked to each other, as if hoping for a sense of guidance or knowledge. Instead, all that was exchanged was a silence born from horror.

“What?” Shiro finally asked. “Everyone still in these capsules...a-are dead?”

“Only one is alive, yes, but in a condition I cannot exactly describe,” the head researcher responded. “He’s in a coma, so to say. He is a robot, so I would have to determine his data is in a dormant state.”

At once, there was a creaking noise. Uldren looked to see Rowan, who has not said a word, grab a capsule lid and rip it off its hinges. He threw it aside before reaching in and picking up the body inside.

Uldrem recognized the blue and brown color scheme. “C-Cayde!”

Rowan looked desperate. “I-It’s him, right?! Cayde’s the one still alive, right?!”

“Yes. Cayde is in an unconscious state, however. I don’t know when or even if he will wake up.”

“But...do you know why he’s like this?” Kamui pressed.

“I do know, but...”

Uldren frowned. “But?”

“Listen, I don’t even have time to explain why I don’t have time to explain. I can arrange a way for the bodies to be given back to their loved ones later. For now, you need to get out of here before the Shadow King arrives and kills you all himself.”

“I...have so many questions!” Uldren exclaimed.

“I cannot give you answers now. You have to leave immediately!”

“She’s right,” Shiro pointed out. “I don’t know much about our situation, but I know enough to realize we’re in enemy territory. We can collect our thoughts once we’re in a safer place.”

“Rowan, you can get us out of here, right?” Adam asked. “Since you’re Light Incarnate and all.”

Rowan did not answer at first. He was cradling Cayde’s unmoving body in his arms. His expression made it impossible to determine what exactly he was thinking in that moment, but he seemed to not be listening to the conversation or deliberately ignoring it.

“Rowan!” Adam repeated in a louder tone.

Rowan blinked and looked up. “Huh?”

“Can you get us out of the Umbra Mondo?”

“What...oh! Oh, yea!” Rowan quickly nodded as he returned to reality.

The head researcher looked worried as Rowan stood up. It was as if she expected him to suddenly collapse again as he held Cayde-6’s body. However, he was able to hold him in one arm as he raised up his other hand.

At once, Uldren felt a few seconds of warmth through his body. Then, nothing but white encased his vision, forcing him to close his eyes. Wind shot through his hair, then vanished. And once he opened his eyes, he could recognize the interior of the Tower hangar.

At once, multiple things happened. Numerous people shouted out, and he heard footsteps approach. Shiro began yelling and telling Rowan to get Cayde to the infirmary amidst the sudden commotion. Uldren looked to see shocked faces gaping at the sudden arrival of the seven people.

“TAKASHI!” Came from the other side of the hangar. Zavala could be seen actually leaping over a table in his way before running up and encasing Shido in a tight hug.

The white-haired man looked shocked. “C-Commander?!”

Zavala pulled back, holding Shiro by the shoulders. “Takashi, what happened to you all? Are you alright?”

“Y-Yes, I’m fine! Just not in the best shape.” Shiro teetered a bit as he said this. “It feels like I haven’t walked in months.”

Zavala took Shiro’s arm and pulled it over both of his shoulders. “You may lean on me. I better get you someplace to rest.”

“That would be great,” Shiro responded. “Thank you, Commander.”

As Zavala helped Shiro off, Adam followed. He looked strangely sad about something. However, he stopped, and seemed to gain a face of determination. He instead began to head over to Ikora trying to talk to a confused-looking Nythera.

“Warlock Vanguard?” He asked. “I want to talk to you about something.”

Ikora looked. “Adam. Is it about what happened to you all? Nythera here cannot seem to remember.”

“Honestly...no. It’s about something prior to that that I really need to talk to you about. In private.”

Ikora looked confused, but nodded. As Nythera began to walk off slowly, the Vanguard member and Adam left the hangar as well. Judging by Adam’s expression, Uldren doubted it was anything good. But he couldn’t imagine anything that was so serious that it needed to be brought up to a council member.

Slowly, he sat down on one of the crates in the hangar. He suddenly felt sick, and his legs shook violently under him. He took a deep breath before sinking his head forward to rest it in his hands.

Pulled Pork appeared above his head, making a chirping noise. “Uldren, are you alright?”

As the Ghost hovered around him, Uldren lifted his eyes that begged him for sleep. “Pulled Pork, what happened to us?”

There was a pause before his answer. “Do you remember when Rowan and Gabriel disappeared?”

“When they entered the old ruins of Aytolis? Yea, nobody stopped talking about it.”

“After that, Insurrection’s Abyss suddenly came forward. You know, the resistance group in the Umbra Mondo. Apparently, the Shadow Queen had been proclaimed dead, and Fox had killed her.”

“What?!”

“I know, shocking! He gained the throne of the Umbra Mondo and the title of Shadow Incarnate. He’s now been referred to as the Shadow King Fox. And from what we know, the monarchy of the Umbra Mondo is now a dictatorship under his rule. And then...people started disappearing all of a sudden. A lot of people began to get paranoid and worried.” Pulled Pork paused. “Sixteen of you disappeared, including Rowan and Gabriel. You guys are the first to come back.”

Uldren closed his eyes, and vividly remembered Faro. How he looked as if he was asleep within that capsule. How he didn’t move as others began to awaken from whatever nightmare they couldn’t remember.

“The others are dead,” he simply said. “We were the only ones who woke up.”

Pulled Pork tilted his shell. “Woke up?”

“I don’t know. I can’t remember what happened to us. What made them die. All I know is that some sort of event rendered everyone besides us braindead, and Cayde comatose.”

“...To you, what day is it?”

Uldren frowned. “To me, it was about two days ago since Rowan and Gabriel disappeared.”

“That was two months ago,” Pulled Pork responded. “You all vanished over the course of the first month, and we didn’t hear from you since then. You were one of the first to disappear.”

Uldren made a grunting noise. He closed his eyes out of frustration, trying to block this out. He tried to remember those two months, but all his mind did was stop in disbelief at it having been that long ago. He could still vividly remember his last memory of drinking a glass full of whiskey while Faro was talking to Cayde and Lucy out on a date. He could remember the lights in the bar as he decided to call Keith. He can’t remember ever doing that. His memories immediately forgo the rest of the night and jump into him waking up in that strange capsule.

“What happened?” He quietly asked.

“We were hoping you could answer that,” Pulled Pork responded. “I couldn’t feel your Light anymore. All I could do was wait at the apartment with Keith.”

“Keith...shit,” Uldren seethed. “It’s been two months.”

“He’ll be happy to see you again,” Pulled Pork softly said. “You have your keys to the apartment still, right?”

“Got my spares in my locker.” Uldren got up. “I’ll go grab them and head to the apartment.”

As Uldren went along, Pulled Pork clarified who had went missing, but have not returned. Faro and Gabriel, he already knew about. Beleen Baker was Asher Mir’s assigned assistant. Zero and Shiro-4 both disappeared from the Iron Temple. Jadir was actually the Warlock student under Artix von Krieger’s teachings. Libra and Virion von Brigheld, the Ylissean married couple, vanished and left their daughter to be watched over by the Vasiliev family. And Zeta was that mischievous trickster woman that had suddenly joined with her partner Lynaria.

Uldren knew all of them were dead. Braindead from whatever incident he couldn’t recall anymore. And as he walked to his locker in the Tower, he realized that their loved ones would have to be told of this.

How would Asher Mir react? His body language seemed to always shrug off Beleen, but could he hide his true feelings towards her? And what would Lynaria think of learning that her only friend is now gone forever?

Trying to push off this sudden anxiety, Uldren threw open his locker with more force than he intended. Quickly ducking his head, he grabbed his spare keys and closed it again.

As he moved to leave, a Vex hand grabbed his wrist. Startled, Uldren quickly looked up to meet Asher Mir in gaze.

“You’ve returned,” he simply said.

Uldren closed his eyes shut. “And I know what you want to ask me.”

“Well? Where is she? Where’s my assistant?” Asher huffed. “I have quite the many scoldings for her for leaving me with so much work!”

“She’s dead.” When Asher didn’t respond, Uldren sucked in a breath. “She didn’t make it back. A lot of the missing people didn’t.”

Asher’s voice had been filled with a snappish demeanor originally. Now, his words were soft and shaky. “That’s not true.”

“Beleen didn’t come back. I’m sorry.”

Uldren did not want to continue the conversation further. He turned, keeping his back to Asher. He began to walk away in a brisk manner, clutching the key close to his chest.

Already, a twisted feeling was bubbling up in his chest. It was one of guilt, he surmised. It seems he felt at fault for being one of the survivors of the mysterious incident.

Why was it him? Why did he survive? What happened within the Umbra Mondo?

When he found himself standing in front of the infirmary, he entered it. It was a sudden desire to that willed him to push the door open. And as soon as he entered, he visibly winced when Libra was not spotted amongst the attendants. He had no idea how strange it felt to not see the Ylissean cleric present.

The entire Vasiliev family was sitting by one of the beds. Carla and Rowan were sitting together, Carla having an arm around him and pulling him closer to her. Andal had Talli on his lap, Sapphire standing by while holding her notepad. And Lucy was right next to the occupant, a hand on his unmoving one.

Uldren slowly walked up, looking at Cayde and the way his Ghost laid on his chest. She looked sad, finding the thought of being unable to revive him unbearable. When she noticed the newcomer, she directed her eye to him while chirping, but said nothing.

Lucy looked up. “Hey, Uldren.”

“Is he alright?” Uldren asked.

“He’s in a stable condition,” Andal answered. “According to the doctors, at least. But we’re worried about what happened that Sundance cannot heal.”

“It’s apparently something with his...data,” Carla tried to explain. “They’re afraid that he might commence an emergency reset.”

“You mean that once he’ll wake up, he’ll...have forgotten everything?” Uldren’s face fell.

None of the family members responded. Talli whimpered a bit, and Andal pulled her into a hug. Rowan only bowed his head further.

“Uldren, what happened to us?” Rowan whimpered. “Why does Cayde have to suffer like this? What did he do that we didn’t?”

“It could be worse,” Uldren remarked. “Pulled Pork said that he couldn’t feel my Light, wherever I was. Cayde could have straight-up died.”

“Is death really worse than a comatose state that you don’t know the cause and effect of?” Lucy questioned.

“...Maybe not,” Uldren admitted.

He didn’t linger any longer. He had no reason to even enter, in the first place. He didn’t know Cayde as well as he knew Rowan or even Lucy. But just seeing him lay limp in bed with his ragged cloak hung up to the side...it pulled at his heart and threatened to crush him under a wave of sadness. Leaving the Vasiliev family, Uldren exited the infirmary.

From there, it was straight out of the Tower. He descended from up above, stepping onto the ground floor. Then, he exited the building and walked out into the street.

The Last City is a name that has no meaning anymore. Instead of the bleak implications, it thrives with life like no other place within Alliance territory. It’s begun to fiercely compete with the Cocoon in terms of being a blend of diverse cultures.

He stuck to the sidewalk, having memorized the route to the apartment building he and Keith lived in. He didn’t look up from his feet, instead turning on certain streets on memory alone.

Dimly, he realized how awful and grungy he must look. When’s the last time he took a bath, or even shaved? On instinct, he rubbed the hair growing on his face. It was a good half of an inch or so.

After a few minutes of walking, he found himself in front of the apartment building. Stepping inside the courtyard, he began to fidget with the spare key in his pocket to occupy himself.

Nobody paid him any attention when he entered, quickly making his way to the elevators. In fact, it seemed nobody was in the elevators at all, making him stand in one alone once it opened its doors. He pressed the floor he knew by heart and tried to relax as the doors slid shut.

So much had happened. All he wanted was to clean up and go to sleep. Despite being unconscious for however long, being buried under blankets sounded like heaven to his tired body.

Pulled Pork appeared in a flash of blue. “Are you tired?”

“Hell yea,” Uldren grunted, reaching a hand up to rub his eyes. “Gone for two months, right? When’s the last time I took a bath or slept in a good bed?”

“Well, your body knows more than your mind!” Pulled Pork cheerfully exclaimed. “Though you might want food, as well.”

The elevator stopped, and Uldren walked out into the hallway. “Yea, I probably should.”

Uldren walked up to his apartment door and pulled out his spare key. At once, he seemed to seize up, as if scared of continuing further. He grimaced a bit, and lowered his hand.

After a tense moment, there was a pawing sound on the other side of the door, and stressed whining noises. That would be Kosmo. He must have heard or smelled someone approaching. But did he know it was him?

There was a murmuring voice that sounded tired, followed by a command for Kosmo to heel. When the wolf did not listen, Uldren heard a sigh, then footsteps heading towards the door. And before he could put in the key, it unlocked and swung open.

Keith was wearing an oversized grey shirt that sagged on one shoulder, and shorts underneath. There were bags under his eyes, and his Galra ears were lowered. However, they perked up immediately once he blinked and took in the sight before him.

Uldren had no idea what he looked like. He hadn’t seen himself in a mirror yet. All he knew was that he was in casual clothing, and that his hair was probably the greasiest thing since the invention of french fries.

“Hey,” he stammered. “I’m back.”

Keith did not hesitate. He leapt straight into Uldren’s arms, wrapping his legs around his waist as Kosmo began to bark. Uldren, taken off guard, stumbled back and nearly fell on his ass in the apartment hallway. And yet, all he could do was laugh in joy along with his boyfriend.

He could see purple bristles grow into existence on Keith’s bare skin. He smiled, peppering kisses along the fur on his face. Keith must truly be emotional if he’s shifted into Galra form like this.

“You reek like hell.”

“I probably look like it, too.”

Keith merely purred, nuzzling Uldren’s cheek. “I can ignore it for a bit. I’m just so happy to see you again!”

Uldren managed to get onto his feet, still carrying Keith. With his free hand, he closed the door and locked it behind him as they entered their apartment together, still exchanging kisses like tomorrow did not exist.

From there, Keith dedicated himself to making a quick but delicious dinner while Uldren hopped into the shower. He could smell bacon frying from within the bathroom, and his stomach growled. He had no idea how hungry he was until food was available.

By the time Keith was setting out the plates, Uldren had finished drying himself off and emerged wearing fluffy black pajamas. He hadn’t even bothered to comb his hair, instead coming straight over to kiss Keith and begin scarfing down the eggs and bacon in front of him.

Keith looked worried as Uldren ate. “When’s the last time you put food in you?”

“No idea,” Uldren answered. “I haven’t felt this hungry since I was revived as a Guardian.”

“Right. You guys don’t exactly get revived with full stomachs.”

Pulled Pork’s shell spun. “It is one thing to reconstruct flesh and bone. It’s another thing entirely to make a gourmet meal out of thin air!”

Keith laughed a bit. By now, he was back to his human form, and had swept up the fur that fell off his body to the ground into the garbage. “Well, I guess you can’t do every miracle.”

He didn’t ask what happened. He could see that Uldren’s mind was somewhere else. Instead, he made a bag of popcorn and turned on the TV to whatever horror flick was on. They both went to lay on the couch, wrapping themselves up in spare blankets.

Uldren hugged Keith close, laying his head on his chest. He listened to the heartbeat of his lover. Slowly, he was pulled away from the chaos and sorrow within the Tower at the moment. Both he and Keith were asleep in minutes, the popcorn untouched and the movie continuing to play.

Sending off the survivors so abruptly was something Seraphina did not want to do. She wanted to at least give them their fallen friends’ bodies to bring back home. But now, she had to arrange some complicated way to deceive the Shadow King into handing them over to the Alliance to show decent respect for the fallen.

That wasn’t on her mind at the moment, however. Instead, she was currently at her computer. She wasn’t typing anything at all, currently in an audio chat with a couple of friends of hers.

“I’m sorry your physical appearance was altered, Fuyuhiko.”

Wu Ming butted in.  _ “Hey, hey, you have no need ta apologize. It was my data, it’s my fault.” _

_ “Well, neither of you do, for fuck’s sake. I knew what I had to do, I don’t regret it. Sure, I’ll have to hide my eye and arm, but it’s still manageable.” _

Seraphina smiled. “Right. How are your siblings?”

_ “Perfect, thanks for asking. They don’t remember anything, but we didn’t want them to. As far as Father knows, the testing for the system didn’t go as planned, so it’s been decommissioned permanently.” _

_ “And what ‘bout Nagito?” _

Fuyuhiko paused.  _ “...What?” _

_ “Do you think he can put two an’ two together, kid? He can catch on that somethin’ wasn’t right in the NMMA. Ain’t you worried?” _

_ “...Nah,”  _ Fuyuhiko admitted.  _ “I’m not THAT worried about what he thinks. He has no way of thinking those were real people that died. He’ll probably come to the conclusion that it was just some storyline in some weird-ass fanfiction!” _

Seraphina still seemed worried. “And what if he doesn’t?”

Fuyuhiko still laughed a bit.  _ “You guys let me handle that, okay?”  _ He then sighed.  _ “This will be the last time we talk, right?” _

“You seem sad about that,” Seraphina observed.

_ “...Well...You guys ain’t bad people. Sure, you had a shitty first impression on me, but I know you’re softies that care about others. Especially you, Drifter.” _

Wu Ming went eerily quiet. Seraphina’s breath caught in her throat. Even Sigma listening in took pause.

_ “Howdja know that name?”  _ Wu Ming slowly drawled.

Fuyuhiko chuckled.  _ “You aren’t as sneaky as you think. Though I don’t think whatever I call you matters. Nobody still knows your real name.” _

_ “Hell, call me some dyke name like Ranzal or whatever. I don’t care.”  _ Wu Ming paused, then gained a sort of happy tone to his voice.  _ “But you’ve surprised me again an’ again, Fuyuhiko. On behalf of those Insurrection’s Abyss weirdos...thank you. I owe you a big one. So if you ever need a favor, give me a call, alright? Ol’ Drifter’s got yer back, kid.” _

_ “You don’t even have a contact!” _

The Drifter laughed.  _ “Then get Insurrection’s Abyss to patch you through ta me. They work miracles I can’t understand.” _

Fuyuhiko softly chuckled.  _ “Thanks. Both of you. This is Fuyuhiko Weil, signing off for the last time.” _

Seraphina smiled. “Goodbye, Fuyuhiko.”

_ “Bye, Fuyu.” _

Fuyuhiko disconnected. Seraphina frowned, finding a strange form of sadness to overcome her. It was strange. She had grown quite fond of Fuyuhiko’s firey attitude. She’ll miss it very dearly in her life.

_ “I miss him already.”  _ Wu Ming’s voice went sentimental, too.

Seraphina raised an eyebrow. “That’s the first time I ever heard you sad about something.”

_ “Even the best men need their times, ya know? Now, how are we gonna tell ‘em?” _

Seraphina paused. “Tell who about what?”

The Drifter sighed.  _ “The Alliance about the truth. What really happened with the Tangled Shore Murders. How they’re punishin’ an innocent man.” _

“We don’t have the capabilities to do that,” Seraphina responded.

_ “What? Why?” _

“Wu Ming, they won’t believe us. Not only do we not have proof, but if we do use the classified data we had Fuyuhiko steal from the Alliance records, they’ll know we did it, and we’ll be in even deeper shit. Plus, we have no honesty behind our names. I’m the head researcher of their mortal enemy. You’re...well, whoever you are.”

_ “Eh...It’s true that I ain’t th’ most trustworthy guy out there, sista. But can’t we just be whistleblowers?” _

“Wu Ming, if they did believe it, the Alliance will tear apart! It’s Cayde-6 we’re accusing! Do you understand what the backlash would be? What the political impact would be from this?”

_ “Yea, but...it still ain’t right fer th’ truth ta die with this ‘mysterious kidnappin’ incident’.” _

“...That reminds me. Wu Ming, Drifter, whatever you want me to call you...What was the NMMA to you? What made you want to undermine it?”

The Drifter went quiet. He audibly took a breath, paused, then exhaled. Seraphina couldn’t see him, but she believed he had a grimace on his face.

_ “I don’t know myself.” _

Seraphina suddenly looked behind her at footsteps. “Shit. Need to go. Bye.”

Without a moment to lose, she closed the audio tabs. Then, she opened up numerous closed tabs about research to give the illusion of her being hard at work as a hand turned the doorknob.

The Shadow King Fox entered, purple robe billowing behind him. “Seraphina.”

Seraphina turned in her chair. “Oh! Your Majesty. What do you need?”

“I need a container from you. Anything will do.”

“Like a glass capsule?” Seraphina looked around. “I believe I have a few in storage. Why?”

“Where are they?” Seraphina pointed to a box on a crowded shelf. “Good.” Fox strode over, opening the box and pulling out the glass canisters.

As Seraphina watched him, she watched something golden fall to the ground from his face. It was tear-shaped, and glittered in what light the small room had.

Fox looked down at it. “Ah. Didn’t mean for that.”

Seraphina frowned. “What is that?”

Fox bent down to pick it up. “My tear, of course. I’ve been crying at random intervals since I became Shadow Incarnate.” When he turned, Seraphina noticed his eyes were red and puffy. “I already have so much of these that I needed a new storage place for them. I believe they are the leaks of light from my Luxonia soul, a side effect of me accepting ultimate darkness.”

“Are they mere jewels?”

“Not in any way. I want to research more into the power they hold.” Seraphina began to open her mouth to speak. “And before you say anything, this is a private research. I don’t want you involved in my personal affairs.”

Seraphina quickly bowed her head. “Yes, your Majesty.”

Seraphina watched Fox leave the room, placing the crystal tear into the glass canister. Without even as much as a goodbye, he closed the door behind him.

Funny enough, she would rather take the almost unbearable Wu Ming than him. At least he actually said hello and goodbye to her.


End file.
